Category: International

Trump’s Withdrawal From International Agreements Makes the Nation Worse Off

Olivia Martinez

Since his inauguration in January 2016, President Donald Trump has repeatedly withdrawn the United States from international, multilateral agreements. He claims withdrawal from such agreements is to the benefit of the United States; he is wrong. Withdrawal from such agreements is to the detriment of the United States’ standing as an international leader. According to the international relations theory of liberalism, international order is produced and maintained through processes of repetitive interdependent relationships among global participants. This school of thought asserts that an international balance of power is needed to…

Sustainable Development No Longer a Focus as Trump Administration Battles Multilateralism at the United Nations

Rosalyn Kutsch

2018 marks the third year since the United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The agenda set forth 17 goals for the international community to reach by the year 2030. Among these are the ambitious objectives to end hunger and poverty. With total buy-in from world leaders, many of the goals and their respective “indicators” (smaller, more targeted goals) could be achieved in the remaining years of the commitment. Unfortunately, progress on achieving the SDGs is hindered by the ongoing struggle of the Trump Administration to define the role of the…

How Much for a Little Afghani Girl?

Rina Lokaj

Welcome to Afghanistan: home to some of the world’s most gorgeous mosques, breathtaking national parks, and booming markets for selling little girls. Every American is probably well aware of the war that we have been fighting in Afghanistan for the past 17 years, but there is a more sinister aspect of Afghanistan that we are not told about. Families have now found themselves in situations where they need to sell their daughters in order to provide for their other children. You might ask: how could a mother or father do…

The Hypocrisy Surrounding the Death of Jamal Khashoggi

Fiona Leary

“Democracy Dies in Darkness.” The Washington Post debuted its grim new slogan in early 2017, not a month after the inauguration of President Trump. T​he same constructive cynicism that generated the Washington Post’s mission statement is what motivated Jamal Khashoggi to flee his homeland of Saudi Arabia and begin writing for the Post in 2017​. Khashoggi was a staunch supporter of democratic values and transparency in his journalistic career, which he exemplified when he condemned human rights violations committed by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the crown prince himself,…

The Heavy Responsibility of the Safety of Journalists

Samantha Butzen

On October 2nd, 2018, Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul.  He entered the building to obtain documents to aid in his upcoming marriage ceremony and never came out.  This matter has been fraught with global outcry and speculation in addition to formal investigations into the killing of Khashoggi.  18 Saudis have been arrested, including a team of 15 operatives, who Saudi officials claimed were sent by General Ahmad Asiri to detain Khashoggi and return him to Saudi Arabia.  The Saudi government changed…

Chasing the Communist Bait: How America Has Spread Itself Too Thin

Ryan Slattery

It was only a few months ago that the leaders of North and South Korea made a historic agreement to formally end the Korean War, thus ending the 65 year-long armistice, and one of the key conflicts within the Cold War. Yet, after all of this time, America’s military has continued to increase its global presence. We continue to send billions in foreign aid to other countries and participate in costly alliances like NATO. I’ve come to see the negative effects of our global presence: not only in our abandonment…

Oil Sanctions, Barter Systems, and the State of U.S.-Europe Relations

Austin Sacker

In May of this year, the Trump administration announced their intent to withdraw from the Obama-era Iran-P5+1 nuclear disarmament deal and plan to re-impose prior sanctions placed on Iran’s oil sector. Earlier this November, these new sanctions began taking effect. It is important to note that Iran, as far as the interested parties are concerned (including Iranian adversary Saudi Arabia), was abiding well within the parameters of the agreement; furthermore, the participation of the US is not essential to the continuation of the agreement. Although there is much speculation as to…

Khashoggi, Trump, and Threats to the Press

Sophia Singh

Few would call President Donald Trump a “friend of the press.” From the advent of the phrase “fake news” to yelling at reporters in press conferences, the president has fostered one of the tensest relationships with the media that America has ever seen. However, this painful association was taken to a new level in the past month with the disappearance and death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was a native Saudi, who left his country in 2017 to continue writing in DC and to avoid the suppression of…