With Canada and Mexico, Trump may find that populism cuts both ways
Populism is going to be a major factor — if not the dominant driver — of politics across North America in the next year, and perhaps well beyond.
Foreign Concept
Foreign Concept provides international affairs coverage by Mark Porubcansky, a foreign correspondent and editor for 30 years, who, until recently, served as foreign editor of the Los Angeles Times.
We’re entering into a golden age of election rigging
The 2016 election was a very small tip on a very large iceberg.
Why it doesn’t actually matter much whether Trump and Kim Jong Un meet soon
As U.S. and North Korean negotiators try to put a summit back on track, there are other issues more immediate and more important than whether Trump and Kim have a face-to-face meeting.
South Africa grapples with a ticking ‘time bomb’: land ownership
Is it possible to respect constitutional property rights and provide justice for those whose land was taken – while not destroying part of an already fragile economy?
The biggest winner in Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal? Iranian hardliners
Which means the biggest loser is Iran’s moderate President Hassan Rouhani.
The opioid epidemic is a global problem. And it’s getting worse
Public health experts warn that the opioid epidemic is in danger of creating a “public health disaster of historic proportions.”
Can the U.S. avoid trade wars with China and the EU? We’ll find out this week
Without any action by Tuesday, a temporary exemption will expire and tariffs of 25 percent on European steel and 10 percent on aluminum will go into effect.
The U.S. can’t fix Syria. But can it do anything to make things even a little bit better?
There is no practical, ethical path forward. There are some small steps the U.S. can take, though. For now, that will have to do.
China doesn’t want a trade war either
In some important ways, Donald Trump is the U.S. president China wants.
How will Iran respond to Trump, Bolton and Co.?
We’re in for a rough patch with Iran. Tensions are about to get worse, and war is possible if far from inevitable.
How China’s relationship with North Korea could complicate a Trump-Kim meeting
Kim’s visit to Beijing this week, including a photo op with China’s newly confirmed leader-for-life Xi Jingping, could change a whole lot of calculations.
Around the world, young voters have shown pretty clearly what they don’t want: the status quo
Is the political mobilization of young people in the U.S. and Slovakia just two isolated events? Or does it represent something bigger?
For Putin and Russia, some habits are hard to break
The Stalin era ended with the dictator’s death 65 years ago this month, and Putin certainly isn’t Stalin. But hints of the old ways are hiding in plain sight.
How George Soros became an all-knowing, all-powerful global villain
From U.S. states to European capitals, Soros has been accused of everything from political manipulation to encouraging mass migration and stoking racial tensions.
Freedom’s not just another word for being able to buy a gun
There are ways of looking at the issue that might at least clear away a bit of smoke.
Does Trump have any clue what he’s doing in the Middle East?
Let’s hope someone in the Trump administration has a more sophisticated approach than bashing Iran, cozying up to Netanyahu and sending in Jared. We’re gonna need it.
What if we’ve been all wrong about China’s attitude toward North Korea?
Georgetown University professor Oriana Skylar Mastro argues that Chinese-North Korean relations are actually far worse than we think.
Want a hint of what the Trump administration will do about the Korean peninsula? Watch Secretary of Defense James Mattis
Because Trump seems to have a thing for military men, and because of his responsibility for America’s vast war-making capability, Mattis’ voice is likely to be highly influential.
A near-term prognosis for the world’s most dysfunctional big-power relationship
Look for some bluster, but nothing intentionally provocative from Russia, which will want a period of calm through the summer.
Venezuela’s slow death
Countries like Venezuela hold together longer than you’d think possible. But a reckoning always comes.
