World Politics Review WPR Articles 28 Apr 2012 - 04 May 2012

WPR Articles 28 Apr 2012 - 04 May 2012

U.S. Magnitsky Bill Confuses Russia's Weakness for Strength

By: Daragh McDowell | Briefing

Though Sergei Magnitsky’s murder and the failure of the Russian authorities to hold those responsible to account are both deplorable, they are not evidence of the hyper-authoritarian police state that many in the West imagine Russia to be. Rather they are evidence of the deterioration of the “vertical of power” that has formed the basis of Vladimir Putin’s vision for the Russian state.

To Counter Nuclear Smuggling, Target All Smuggling

By: Johan Bergenas | Briefing

Unlike the Cold War era, today’s global threat horizon is not defined by a single or a few large threats. Rather, our common security is challenged by a horizontal portfolio of problems that transcends borders, including everything from the trafficking of small arms and drugs to the smuggling of cigarettes. All of these scourges have a disproportionately negative impact upon developing economies.

The U.N. Mission in Syria: Heading for Heroic Failure?

By: Richard Gowan | Briefing

When the U.N. sends peacekeepers to war zones, there are often excessive expectations about what they can achieve. By contrast, pessimism surrounds the U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria. It’s rare for U.N. officials to emphasize that a new operation is likely to fail. Why are they doing so in the Syrian case? The answer may be that UNSMIS marks a deeply troubling turning point in U.N. peacekeeping.

With Eye on Asia, U.S. Seeks Greater Global Security Role for Brazil

By: Zachary Keck | Briefing

Last week’s inaugural U.S.-Brazilian Defense Cooperation Dialogue was the latest example of the Obama administration’s efforts to enhance defense cooperation with Brazil. Though improving broader relations with Brazil has been a priority, the emphasis on defense ties is part of Washington’s effort to get Brazil to increase its global security role as the U.S. focuses its attention on Asia.

Moscow Conference Highlights NATO-Russian Gap on Missile Defense

By: Richard Weitz | Briefing

The Missile Defense Conference currently taking place in Moscow demonstrates the wide gap that continues to separate Russia and the West on the issue of ballistic missile defense. The issue has divided the two sides since the 1980s. If there is one thing these years of frustrating experience should have taught us, it is that missile defense is the wrong issue to make the centerpiece of the Russia-NATO reset.

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The New Rules: Globalization's Future Depends on Stable U.S.-China-India Order

By: Thomas P.M. Barnett | Column

How can a supposedly declining America protect globalization while managing the rise of China and India? History says that three is a crowd when it comes to system stability. The problem with such “realism” is that it cannot imagine a world structure that precludes one or more of these superpowers from somehow trying to “win.” And yet, find that acceptable power-sharing formula we must.

Global Insights: Building Confidence in the Cyber Domain

By: Richard Weitz | Column

News reports indicate that the U.S. and Russia are close to reaching an agreement that would expand a secure communications channel originally established to avert misunderstandings that might lead to nuclear war to the domain of cyberconflicts. Such confidence-building measures are useful tools given the uncertainties regarding cyberconflicts and the poor prospects of negotiating cybersecurity treaties.

Abu Muqawama: In Syria, a Quick, Decisive Outcome is Unlikely

By: Andrew Exum | Column

The events of the past year have demonstrated the disregard the Syrian government has for its people, which explains why military options to force Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down have been weighed. Given the increasing pressure U.S. policymakers are under to influence events in Syria, it is important to understand the difficulties they face in trying to ascertain the nature of the confiict there.

World Citizen: Is Europe's Left Poised for a Comeback?

By: Frida Ghitis | Column

When the global financial crisis erupted in 2007, it seemed liked the ideal moment for the political left to launch a comeback, particularly in Europe. But throughout Europe voters seemed generally disinclined to bring leftist politicians to office. That might be about to change. After several years of the center-right taking the reins in Europe, 2012 could come to represent a pivot year for the left.

The Realist Prism: Chen Saga Pits U.S. Rhetoric vs. Interests

By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Column

The saga of Chen Guangcheng, the blind activist who sought refuge in the U.S. embassy in Beijing this week, is still unfolding. Yet the Obama administration appears to have encountered its own version of Dwight Eisenhower’s “Hungary 1956” moment: the point at which idealistic rhetoric about U.S. support for freedom and democracy collides with the harsh realities of national interests. 

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