The Global Citizen

When Joe Biden first announced a Summit for Democracy shortly after taking office,it was a bad idea. Now that the Senate has rejected the Democrats' voting rights bill, we can see that the Summit was an even worse idea. The Summit attracted quite a few undemocratic countries, but the US, ranked 83 by Freedom House, hardly qualifies as an exemplar of democracy. Trumpism's continuing influence must be Biden's target; when, or if, he hits it, a summit may be worth having.

China has systematically crushed popular protests in Hong Kong along with civil society, free elections, and the independent media. Beijing's promise of 50 years of autonomy for Hong Kong is gone, and in its place are China loyalists and governing bodies that lack legitimacy. Sanctions and shaming are about all the US and other concerned governments have to influence China's policies.

Prof. Dali Yang at the University of Chicago is a leading analyst of Chinese politics. He has written extensively on the handling of the COVID pandemic in China and the US. In this interview he comments on past US-China public health cooperation, the impact of the trade war and COVID on relations, and prospects for a resumption of collaboration.

Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the object of intense US-China competition, with the global electric car market the prize for the winning countries. China is far ahead of the US, but its companies face problems that cooperation with the US might alleviate.

The current crisis over Ukraine reflects Vladimir Putin's fear of democracy as much as fear of NATO enlargement. Whether or not Russia's military buildup is the prelude to an attack on Ukraine, a new diplomatic initiative is essential. It will have to take not only Russia's but also Ukraine's security concerns into account.

In this interview on December 6, 2021, Prof. Braun at the University of Toronto assesses the state of Russia's society and economy, Putin's world view, and Russian interests in Ukraine. He distinguishes the Kremlin's apparent successes at presenting strength abroad from its actual weaknesses at home. Putin's large-scale deployments to Ukraine may be an effort to divert attention from those weaknesses. But however much Putin fears Ukraine as a potential democracy, he is not reckless, and an actual invasion of Ukraine seems unlikely at the moment. A diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine crisis, however, seems equally unlikely.

Yemen's civil war has resulted in the world's worst humanitarian crisis, mainly caused by Saudi Arabia's intervention. US military support of the Saudis continues despite promises by President Biden to end it. In this episode I examine the human impact of Saudi Arabia's bombing and blockade in Yemen and argue that US military aid to Saudi Arabia should immediately end.

In the midst of all the wrangling between the US and China about human rights, trade, Taiwan, and a host of other issues, a central concern both countries share is how to manage the relationship. What is the most effective structure for ensuring that conflict over issues doesn't spill over into actual conflict? The Biden-Xi virtual summit did not provide an answer, but did help reduce tensions. A US strategy of engagement with China should be the next step, and Chinese commentaries suggest it would be welcome.

The defeat of the Netanyahu government has hardly changed Israeli policies on Palestine and the Palestinians. This episode particularly notes the expansion of Israeli settlements and the designation of six Palestinian human rights groups as terrorist organizations. Also discussed is the failure of the Arab states to come to the support of the Palestinians and a two-state solution. The Biden administration has been mildly critical of Israeli policy but has not used its leverage to push for change.

Keith Luse, Executive Director of the National Committee on North Korea, examines recent developments in North Korean society, its national defense priorities, and relations with the US. He dissects controversial issues such as use of sanctions, the North Korean threat to the US, and the role of domestic politics in both the North and the US in shaping the leadership's views in both countries.