Nile Bowie
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17.01.2017
Obama’s Achievement was Whitewashing Permanent Warfare with Eloquence
Judging from how the mainstream media has characterized the legacy of Barack Obama so far, the outgoing president will be most remembered for his many rousing aspirational speeches and well-timed shows of emotion. His talent as a persuasive public communicator and the strength of his personal brand, bolstered by years of apple-shining from liberal magazines […]
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15.12.2016
Park’s Stunning Fall May Open the Door for Opposition Victory
Following weeks of massive street protests, Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female president, has been impeached by a vote in the country’s national assembly over accusations of extortion, bribery, abuses of power, leaking confidential government documents and violating the constitution. Park has governed high-handedly with a secretive style of leadership that has stoked public curiosity […]
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30.11.2016
Will Trump Backpedal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
In the two weeks since Donald Trump’s surprise election victory, the billionaire developer has adopted a noticeably softer demeanour from that of his insurgent campaign personality. While vetting a cabal of mostly right-wing Republicans for his incoming transition team, he has cautiously walked back from several contentious campaign talking points while attempting to shed off the […]
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05.11.2016
Election 2016: A Political System In Crisis
The outcome of strangest and most consequential election cycle in recent American history will soon be upon us. Regardless of who becomes the next president, this election will forever be synonymous with the rogue candidacy of Donald Trump and the demographic shifts that have emboldened the right. Though it may be a close election, it […]
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20.10.2016
Failure to Accept Russia’s Position in Syria Inching US Closer to War
In recent weeks, officials of Western governments have engaged in a dramatic escalation of rhetoric condemning the Syrian and Russian governments for alleged war crimes that have occurred since the collapse of a UN-backed ceasefire in late September. The escalating charges aimed at Russia and Syria, reinforced by well-orchestrated media campaigns propagating official talking points, […]
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05.10.2016
As Syrian Forces Make Gains in Aleppo, the US Intends to Escalate
Events in northern Syria have taken a dramatic turn in recent days, beginning with an unprecedented US airstrike on Syrian army positions in Deir ez-Zor. US officials have said they were aiming for ISIS targets but struck Syrian army positions accidently, killing 62 soldiers and exposing the remaining survivors to an Islamic State offensive. In the […]
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14.03.2016
Will the DPRK be Recognised as a Nuclear State?
Inter-Korean relations have reached their nadir. Following the North’s fourth nuclear test in January and subsequent long-range rocket launch that placed a satellite in orbit, Seoul has closed the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Pyongyang has cut military communication lines with the South and shut down the liaison office at Panmunjeom. This means that all inter-Korean cooperation […]
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25.01.2016
As Myanmar Enters a New Era, Washington and Beijing Vie for Influence
Myanmar is a country rapidly moving toward uncharted political terrain. By March 2016, the National League for Democracy (NLD) will take power for the first time in history, bringing an end to five decades of rule by the military establishment. Once suppressed by the military junta, the NLD – led by longtime dissident and Nobel laureate […]
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21.10.2015
Singapore’s leftward shift behind ruling party’s stunning electoral comeback
In the run-up to Singapore’s recent general elections, the victory of the People’s Action Party (PAP) – which has presided over transformational social and economic development throughout its continuous five-decade rule – was a forgone conclusion. The question on people’s minds was rather, to what extent could opposition parties dent the ruling party’s dominance and […]
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06.09.2015
As Scandal Mounts, Largesse Keeps Malaysia’s PM in Power
Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak – a British-educated technocrat with a reputation for opulence – is at the center of an unprecedented scandal. A sovereign wealth fund established to develop lucrative industries and boost economic growth in Malaysia, the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), has incurred more than $11 billion in debts and is at the […]
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10.07.2015
Obama’s Pacific Trade Deal Trails Behind China’s Development Vision
Often touted as the centerpiece of the Obama administration’s re-engagement with Asia, a close vote in the US Senate has brought the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) a major step closer to becoming law. Facing significant opposition within his own party, the US president has secured fast-track negotiating authority, limiting Congress’s constitutional authority to regulate the contents […]
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05.06.2015
Facing the Rohingya Crisis, Myanmar’s Elite Speak With One Voice
The dire plight of refugees, asylum-seekers and economic migrants fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh has captured global attention in recent weeks, as Southeast Asian nations struggle to cope with the influx of thousands who have languished in unimaginable conditions on rickety boats in the Andaman Sea, often for months at a time without adequate food and […]