Best of the fortnight - 24 March 2023
Guest Editor Louis Newstead has scoured the internet for IR-related content that might interest you. Here he brings you the past fortnight's best readings and podcasts to keep you up to date with what's happening around the world.
Global Issues
Breaking corporate monopolies is the only way to save democracy. Nick Dearden for openDemocracy
What the IPCC report means for global action on 1.5°C. Henry Throp for Chatham House
The high seas treaty shows a future yet for multilateralism. Laura Wellesley and Aoife O’Leary for Chatham House
UK and Europe
Met police: Casey review shows how ‘warrior culture’ drives policing in the UK. Tara Lai Quinlan for The Conversation
Illegal immigration: cracking down on smuggling makes gangs more organised – and costs migrant lives. David Suber for The Conversation
The EU needs to extend solidarity to Belarusian dissidents. Andrei Vazyanau for openDemocracy
The UK must not sleepwalk into leaving the ECHR. Rashmin Sagoo for Chatham House
Finland has Turkey’s approval and can at last join NATO. The Economist
Russia and Ukraine
Putin and the ICC: history shows just how hard it is to bring a head of state to justice. Catherine Gegout for The Conversation
Ukraine: how uncrewed boats are changing the way wars are fought at sea. Adam James Fenton for The Conversation
Women and war crimes: why so few are prosecuted, and what happens when they are. Caleb Wheeler for The Conversation
Ukraine war: ICC’s Putin arrest warrant may be symbolic but must be the beginning of holding the Russian leader accountable. Stefan Wolff for The Conversation
USA
Trump v DeSantis: how the two Republican presidential heavy-hitters compare. Thomas Gift for The Conversation
The Iraq War 20 years on: End of the US’s post-9/11 neoconservative dream. Paul Rogers for openDemocracy
Invading Iraq is what we did instead of tackling climate change. Adam Ramsay for openDemocracy
Republicans still have ‘tremendous affection for dictators’. Chrissy Stroop for openDemocracy
Bush, 9/11, and the Roots of the Iraq War. Melvyn P. Leffler for Foreign Affairs
Why the U.S. Trade Office No Longer Runs Trade. Edward Alden for Council on Foreign Relations
Latin America
How Peru’s Crisis Could Send Shockwaves Through the Region. Will Freeman and Ariana Rios for Council on Foreign Relations
Podcast: Mexico’s Democratic Backsliding, With Shannon K. O’Neil. The President’s Inbox from Council on Foreign Relations
Can Brazil and China Really Pull Off an Alternative Peace Club?. Harry Dudman and Dr Carlos Solar for RUSI
China
Saudi-Iran deal won’t bring peace to the Middle East but will enhance China’s role as power broker. Simon Mabon for The Conversation
Don’t Panic About Taiwan. Jessica Chen Weiss for Foreign Affairs
How to Read Xi’s Muscular Message on China’s Global Role. Ian Johnson for Council on Foreign Relations
The world according to Xi. The Economist
Podcast: Best friends forever? What we learned from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin’s meeting in Moscow. World Review from The New Statesman
Podcast: How TikTok Became a Matter of National Security. The Daily from The New York Times
Asia
Yoon’s Unilateral Statesmanship Will Fail Without Reciprocation From Japan. Scott A. Snyder for Council on Foreign Relations
North Koreans are at growing risk of starvation. The Economist
Middle East
Podcast: Iraq 20 years on: researchers assess how US invasion shapes lives today. Mend Mariwany and Nehal El-Hadi for The Conversation
Iraq war 20 years on: the British government has never fully learned from Tony Blair’s mistakes. Christopher Featherstone for The Conversation
Iraq war 20 years on: how the role of empire and imperialism in the Middle East has been misconstrued. Ozan Ozavci for The Conversation
Middle East: recent developments could rewrite the political map – but a lot will depend on Israel. Paul Rogers for The Conversation
The Iraq war’s damage to public trust in experts has consequences right up to today. Robert M. Dover for The Conversation
A New Order in the Middle East?. Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr for Foreign Affairs
How Assad Weaponized a Disaster. Jeremy Konyndyk and Jesse Marks for Foreign Affairs
What two decades of Iraqi struggles can teach us about modern conflict. Renad Mansour for Chatham House
Israel's Netanyahu to visit UK amid growing turmoil at home. Tom Bateman for BBC News
Africa
Fortress Europe’s role in Tunisia’s anti-Black violence. Alessandra Bajec for openDemocracy
An Ever More Precarious Situation in DRC. Michelle Gavin for Council on Foreign Relations
Out of Africa: Financial Networks of Islamic State 2.0. Edmund Fitton-Brown for RUSI
US moves from counterterrorism to great power rivalry in the Sahel. Alex Thurston for Responsible Statecraft
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