Tuesday, May 7

Diplomacy

The GER covers diplomacy, international organizations, and meetings. Looking beyond our individual political systems we find people and organizations working to make life better for people in both conflict-ridden places as well as secure, developed countries. It is not enough to focus on the end results of international relations. It’s worth focusing on the day-to-day work of diplomacy. Often, that’s where breakthroughs occur.

El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America
29Jul By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Human rights, Types of News: Bit

El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America

July 29, 2023—Reporting for the Los Angeles Times, Kate Linthicum describes El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has become a "hero on the right" for Latin American leaders even as human rights groups cry foul. It's been four years since Bukele took office and two years since he declared himself as the world's "coolest dictator." Today, many in Latin America view the president as a model for fighting gangs, violent crime, and corruption, even if it comes at the cost of civil liberties. Critics complain that the El Salvadorian leader embraces authoritarianism, but "as homicides plunged, Bukele's approval ratings skyrocketed," Linthicum writes in a LAT report this week. Even as he clears the way for mass criminal trials of hundreds of people at a time, his popularity rises in ...
Read More
A Critical Look At US Funds For Risky Science Abroad
10Apr By Patti MohrNo Comments
Foreign Aid, International Development, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Analysis

A Critical Look At US Funds For Risky Science Abroad

Former CDC Director Calls for Reinstatement Of Obama-Era Ban On Gain-Of-Function Experiments April 10, 2023—As a House Oversight Subcommittee investigates the origins of the deadly COVID-19 virus that killed millions of people around the world, new details about the role of global collaboration in science come to light. Today, the Washington Post published a groundbreaking and extensive report on how U.S. government agencies fund high-stakes research on unknown pathogens around the world. Specifically, since 2012, U.S. agencies spent billions of dollars on research of pathogens in at least 78 countries. And though the research includes dangerous virus hunting, safety standards and regulations have not kept pace with the experiments. Furthermore, according to the Post report by David...
Read More
20 Years After The Iraq War, The Truth Still Suffers
29Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Geopolitics, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Analysis

20 Years After The Iraq War, The Truth Still Suffers

Iraq today has competitive elections, but it is not "free." Its democratic governance is impeded by corruption, weak institutions, and militias. Iraq Lacks Key Freedoms, and No Redemption For U.S. War Hawks March 29, 2023—In the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war, the atmosphere in Washington, D.C. was like a giant groupthink exercise. Most people knew it was an illegal war and the Bush administration's claims about chemical weapons were shaky at best. But they dared not counter the president's position. President George W. Bush had a "freedom agenda," and that agenda made him susceptible to treachery and manipulation. His administration became convinced that Iraq held weapons of mass destruction, and they became determined to make that belief become a truth that needed to be corrected...
Read More
2022: Difficult Year For Human Rights
22Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Human rights, Types of News: Brief

2022: Difficult Year For Human Rights

Annual State Department Report Calls Out China, Russia, India, Israel, And Mexico March 22, 2023—In its annual report on human rights, the U.S. State Department reviewed policies and practices of governments and private groups impacting human rights in 198 countries. Overall, it's been a bleak year for freedom of speech, democracy, and even the basic right to life. The report criticized democratic republics, including the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as autocratic governments. "The goal of this report is not to lecture or to shame," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "Rather, it is to provide a resource for those individuals working around the world to safeguard and uphold human dignity when it’s under threat in so many ways."  https://youtu....
Read More
Citing Russia’s Aggression in Europe, Japan’s Kishida Steps Up Diplomacy
21Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, International Development, Types of News: Analysis

Citing Russia’s Aggression in Europe, Japan’s Kishida Steps Up Diplomacy

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida visited a mass grave in Bucha, Ukraine and expressed his anger about the atrocities Russia's military committed. Kishida Promises To Boost Public and Private Funds For 'Free And Open' Indo-Pacific March 21, 2023—Russia's aggressive war against its neighbor Ukraine is having an impact in SE Asia where leaders worry that China may try to make similar territorial claims against international law. Moreover, ensuring that the sea lanes stay open to trade is increasingly imperative. Japan is increasing its role as a center of diplomatic circles, especially this year as it hosts the G7 meetings. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida traveled to India on Monday and Ukraine today in an effort to strengthen diplomatic ties and alliances. "Russia's aggre...
Read More
War Poses Obstacle To G20 Global Collaboration
2Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

War Poses Obstacle To G20 Global Collaboration

Leaders Can't Come To Terms On Joint Statement March 2, 2023—Foreign ministers meeting in India had difficulty overcoming an obstacle to collaborating on global problems due to one big elephant in the room: Russia's invasion of and ongoing war in Ukraine. Heads of state of G20 countries are scheduled to meet in New Delhi in September 2023. Their top diplomats met yesterday and today. Normally, delegates would conclude meetings up with a joint statement detailing areas of agreement on issues like climate change and the global economy. Instead, they settled for an outcome document acknowledging major differences about the Russia-Ukraine war. "The war in Ukraine has further adversely impacted the global economy," the foreign ministers said in the document. "Most members strongly c...
Read More
G7 Tightening Sanctions, Warns Against Helping Russia’s War
25Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief

G7 Tightening Sanctions, Warns Against Helping Russia’s War

Photo of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio meeting with G7 counterpart on Feb. 24, 2023. Japan is chairing the G7 in 2023. Leaders Announce 'New Sanctions To Condemn Russia's Illegal 'Unwavering Support' For Ukraine February 25, 2023—The G7 countries of Japan, the United States, Britain, Italy, Germany, Canada, and France issued the harshest statement yet condemning Russia's illegal war against Ukraine. "Russia’s heinous attacks over the last 365 days have laid bare the cruelty of the ongoing aggression," the G7 leaders said Friday. "We condemn Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovokedwar, disregard for the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and indifference to the impacts that itswar is having on people worldwide." The G7 leaders promised to give "unwavering suppo...
Read More
Adani And Modi, And India’s Industrial Diplomacy
23Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy, Types of News: Bit

Adani And Modi, And India’s Industrial Diplomacy

File photo: Gautam Adani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauding. Feb 23, 2023—As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with key counterparts in Australia, Bangladesh, and Israel, Gautam Adani is often not far behind. The owner of the Indian conglomerate Adani Group has been making deals worth billions of dollars while Modi builds diplomatic bridges. Reporters in India and around the world are increasingly taking notice. An article in the Financial Times sheds light on relations between the Indian government and industrial giant Adani Group, raising questions about the ethics of public-private dealings. The FT reporting follows similar coverage in other publications, including The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters. Moreover, criticisms by Modi's oppone...
Read More
Top Ten Countries Lobbying U.S. Government in 2022
22Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Infographic

Top Ten Countries Lobbying U.S. Government in 2022

Reasons For Lobbying Vary Widely From Country To Country January 22, 2023—In the United States, it is legal for foreign governments and agencies to lobby the government and disseminate political information as long as they register with the Justice Department. In fact, many countries spend millions of dollars a year on lobbying. Their purposes and practices vary widely. Some hire U.S.-based lawyers and lobbyists to influence the outcome of legislation, such as bills on trade, U.S. military bases, and democracy promotion. Other countries hire their own agents to promote tourism or to publish news. Top Ten Diplomatic Lobbying Countries Some researchers call the practice "diplomatic lobbying." Others suggest it is a privatization of diplomacy, and they warn it can have adverse ef...
Read More
Turkey Demands Finland And Sweden Extradite ‘Terrorists’
19Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

Turkey Demands Finland And Sweden Extradite ‘Terrorists’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks out against asylum policies that harbor terror suspects. NATO Expansion Opposed By Turkey And Hungary January 19, 2023—NATO defense ministers met in Brussels yesterday, joined by their counterparts from Finland and Sweden, two countries eager to join the alliance. But to join NATO, Finland and Sweden need to win over all 30 NATO members, and that's not so easy. Since May of 2022, Turkey and Hungary have opposed their membership bids of Finland and Sweden. In Turkey's case, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long complained that the two countries provide refuge for Kurdish terrorists. This week, he reiterated his call for Sweden and Finland to extradite more than 100 asylum seekers to Turkey. "For this to pass the parliame...
Read More

Contact Us