WPR Articles Nov. 11 — Nov. 18 A Survival Guide for Liberal Internationalists in the Trump Era

 

WPR Articles Nov. 11 — Nov. 18

A Survival Guide for Liberal Internationalists in the Trump Era

By: Judah Grunstein | Column

Now that the initial shock of Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election victory has begun to fade, it is possible to think more clearly about the implications of his presidency. For those who believe in an America committed to its highest values, and embedded in a liberal global order, the task is twofold.

Can Xi Pivot From China’s Disrupter-in-Chief to Reformer-in-Chief?

By: Damien Ma | Feature

Since assuming office in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has audaciously pursued a platform that can be simply distilled as “Make China Great Again,” relying on three pillars: fixing the Chinese Communist Party, transforming the economy, and asserting China as a global player. How has he fared?

How the West Misses the Point on Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Earlier this month, the Shura Council, which advises Saudi King Salman, refused to look into letting women in the kingdom drive, leaving Saudi Arabia as the only country in the world that forbids women from driving. In an email interview, Katherine Zoepf discusses women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.

The Risks of Re-Election Fever in Latin America

By: Christine Wade | Briefing

Last week, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was re-elected to a third consecutive term, his fourth overall since 1984. His victory echoes a growing trend across Latin America of presidents winning re-election, in many cases after changing the constitutional rules on term limits and re-election.

Kenya’s Troop Withdrawal Could Seal the Fate of South Sudan’s Peace Process

By: Andrew Green | Briefing

In a sharp rebuke to the United Nations, Kenya has decided to pull its troops from the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. To make matters worse, Kenya is also disengaging from South Sudan’s peace process, which was already on the verge of collapse. The moves by Kenya could cement its failure.

Forgotten by the World, the Conflict in Darfur Rages On

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

In this week’s Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s Judah Grunstein and Frederick Deknatel discuss the global implications of Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the United States presidential election. For the Report, Andrew Green joins Peter Dörrie to talk about the forgotten conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region.

To Egypt’s El-Sissi, Trump’s Victory Greenlights More Repression

By: Frederick Deknatel | Trend Lines

Egypt’s general-turned-strongman, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, was the first foreign leader to call Donald Trump and congratulate him on his surprising election as president of the United States. Read into that what you will. El-Sissi may be happy with Trump, but at home in Cairo he faces a new batch of problems.

Troubling Signs of Unrest in Western Myanmar Threaten Suu Kyi’s Fragile Government

By: Joshua Kurlantzick | Briefing

Over the past month, the situation in western Myanmar’s volatile Rakhine state has deteriorated again after an attack on police outposts. The unrest threatens to undermine the civilian government’s plans for reconciliation between Muslim Rohingya and Buddhist Rakhine—and its own stability.

Trump’s Campaign Rhetoric Charts a Difficult Course for National Security

By: Steven Metz | Column

It is hard to know precisely what direction President-elect Donald Trump will take American strategy. During the campaign, he developed themes about how he’d deal with the world, but not detailed policies. But these themes can help us identify the course-charting challenges that Trump will face.

How Much Damage Will Trump Do to the Global Effort Against Climate Change?

By: Tom Kutsch | Briefing

The timing of Donald Trump’s stunning election as U.S. president couldn’t have come at a more inauspicious moment for global efforts to blunt climate change. The international effort to fight what is already the world’s most intractable policy problem now faces a major roadblock in Trump.

Legal Protections for Women Exist in Argentina. Enforcement Is the Problem

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Last month, tens of thousands of women marched in Buenos Aires to protest violence against women in Argentina, after several particularly brutal cases came to light there. In an email interview, Jennifer M. Piscopo, an assistant professor at Occidental College, discusses women’s rights in Argentina.

After Squandering Its Oil Wealth, Chad Faces an Economic Reckoning

By: Celeste Hicks | Briefing

A recent call for a vote of no confidence in Chad’s government over its management of the country’s oil wealth shows the level of anger at a deepening economic crisis. As with other oil-producing countries, Chad has waited in vain for prices to recover as two years of economic turmoil have taken their toll.

As U.S. Dollars Dry Up, Zimbabwe Risks Becoming a Cashless Society

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Zimbabwe is close to becoming a cashless society as the country runs out of U.S. dollars, which it uses as its currency. To counter the scarcity, the government plans to introduce bond notes that will be exchangeable with the dollar. In an email interview, Knox Chitiyo discusses Zimbabwe’s cash crisis.

How Will Trump Deal With the Big-Three Threats to International Security?

By: Ellen Laipson | Column

Expect Donald Trump to sound a lot different on the big-three security threats than President Barack Obama. On terrorism and nuclear nonproliferation, the changes may be more rhetorical than real. On climate change, if the U.S. walks away from its leadership role, the consequences will be grave.

Scandal in South Korea Exposes More Than Just Park’s Corruption

By: David Volodzko | Briefing

As many as 1 million South Koreans have taken to the streets of Seoul to demand President Park Geun-hye’s resignation over the scandal involving Park’s friend and informal adviser meddling in state affairs. But the protests have given little thought to the systemic problems that made this scandal possible.

Which Trump Will Cuba Have to Contend With, the Hard-Liner or the Dealmaker?

By: William M. LeoGrande | Briefing

Cuba was not a major issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, but U.S.-Cuban relations may be collateral damage of Donald Trump’s stunning upset victory. Will Trump abrogate the dozen bilateral agreements already signed with Havana, or will he continue the talks underway on half a dozen other issues?

Will Donald Trump Use the U.N. for Foreign Policy Compromises?

By: Richard Gowan | Column

Donald Trump has frequently criticized the U.N. and looks likely to disrupt multilateral diplomacy on issues like climate change. He might be kinder to the organization’s envoys and peacekeepers. Having laid out an incoherent vision of international security, he may need the U.N. to help fill some gaps.

How China’s State-Led Industrial Policy Is Exploiting Germany’s Open Markets

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Earlier this month, German Finance Minister Sigmar Gabriel spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Gao Hucheng, about his concerns over Chinese takeovers of German firms, while dismissing rumors of a serious trade dispute. In an email interview, Björn Conrad discusses Germany’s trade tensions with China.

Latin America’s Populists Are a Cautionary Tale for U.S. Under Trump

By: Frida Ghitis | Column

Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election surprised many observers. But for Latin Americans, the tone, the content and the egomania that Trump put on display during the campaign had a familiar ring. Latin Americans had seen similar personalities take the stage before—and seen them win.

Pragmatism Guides Israel-Russia Ties, but Netanyahu Should Be Wary

By: Karina Piser | Trend Lines

Russia might be doing all it can to secure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power in Syria, but that hasn’t dissuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from pursuing robust ties with Moscow. But Israel’s special relationship with the U.S. will inevitably limit its ties with Russia.

For Cyprus Reunification Talks, It Could Be Now or Never

By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines

Reunification talks in Switzerland between Cyprus and northern Cyprus ended Friday with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Mustafa Akinci, agreeing to reconvene next week. Both leaders cited progress, but many of the most contentious issues are yet to be resolved.

How Xi Is Trying to Make China Great Again

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

In this week’s Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s Judah Grunstein and Frederick Deknatel discuss Barack Obama’s final trip to Europe as president. For the Report, Damien Ma talks with Peter Dörrie about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reform agenda for China and the Communist Party.

What Could Trump’s Russia Policy Actually Look Like?

By: Matthew Rojansky | Briefing

President-elect Donald Trump has a major window of opportunity to reform U.S. policy toward Russia, subject to some considerable constraints. He could potentially jumpstart relations that are far more beneficial to U.S. interests than the current stalemate between Russia and the West.

Will Biological Weapons Be Terrorism’s ‘Next Big Thing’?

By: Steven Metz | Column

Over time, the fear produced by a particular form of terrorism declines as potential targets mentally adjust. Terrorist groups must therefore seek new forms of attacks to produce the same effect. This is where the Islamic State finds itself today. And “the next big thing” could be biological terrorism.