Written by: Simon Fischer One of President Joe Biden’s top foreign policy goals for his term will certainly be to negotiate a new agreement with Iran to curtail its growing nuclear program. The previous deal between the two sides, the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (often referred to as “the Iran deal”) fell apart…
Tag: Simon Fischer
Penetrating the Firewall: How the Coronavirus Could Pose a Threat to Xi Jinping’s Authority
Written by: Simon Fischer Chinese strongman Xi Jinping has prominently and unabashedly built a high-efficiency, highly-controlled regime since he took over in 2013. His consolidation of power and increasingly growing control over Chinese society has garnered international attention, and one could argue that his regime might be too strong to topple. He seems to have…
China x NBA: How One Basketball Executive’s Tweet Threatened the Chinese Government
Written by: Simon Fischer Sports and politics have always maintained a close relationship, but foreign policy has rarely been an issue between the two. Issues of race and freedom of speech entered the world of the NFL in 2016, but foreign policy has stayed separate from sports in any controversial manner. This previous context made…
Hong Kong is Desperate for a Savior in their Fight for Democracy. Is the Trump Administration Willing to Help?
Written by: Simon Fischer Grabbing the attention of the entire foreign policy world can be a tough task, especially for a small Special Administrative Region like Hong Kong. However, they have made it look easy in recent months. The densely-populated city has taken to the streets this summer in protest of a deeply unpopular “extradition…
How Netanyahu’s Corruption Indictment Affects the Israeli Election and American Jews
Written by: Simon Fischer Israel’s Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, announced recently that his office plans to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges after a two-year investigation, and he is being formally charged with one count of corruption and three counts of “breach of trust”. The charges are still pending a hearing and further…
Yemen Resolution Exacerbates the Divide Between Congress and Trump on Saudi Arabia
Written by: Simon Fischer On April 4, Congress officially voted to pass a resolution to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, a notable reversal on established Middle East foreign policy and a direct reprimand of Donald Trump’s outspoken support for the Saudis and divisive ruler Mohammad Bin Salman. The resolution widens the…
The Democrats Now Control the House. What Does This Mean for Foreign Policy?
Written by: Simon Fischer Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you are probably aware that the Democrats have taken back control of the House of Representatives. This change of control will have widespread impacts on many facets of policy, primarily including foreign relations. Democrats may not have full control…
The Crown and the Cover-up: How Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder Complicates the US-Saudi Relationship
Written by: Simon Fischer The United States and Saudi Arabia have maintained bilateral relations for nearly a century now, mainly thanks to the prosperous oil trade between the two nations and their continued partnerships in counterterrorism efforts and weapons trade. Recently, though, the pact between the desert kingdom and the leaders of the free world…
Who is John Bolton and What Does his Nomination Mean for the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy?
Written by: Simon Fischer President Donald Trump recently jettisoned his second National Security Advisor in roughly a year, as he fired H.R. McMaster via Twitter after previously dismissing Michael Flynn. His next appointment for the job is John Bolton, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations under the second Bush Administration and a frequent…
What Should the World Think of Xi Jinping Ending China’s Term Limits?
Written by: Simon Fischer China’s National People’s Congress voted recently to pass a constitutional amendment that abolished the country’s Mao-era two-term limit on the office of the president. Current president Xi Jinping was expected to step down in 2023 at the end of his second term, but this amendment allows him to rule well beyond…
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