Analysis

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a set of 17 metallic elements that have become indispensable to modern technology and defense industries. Although they are not truly “rare” in the Earth’s crust, they are difficult to find in concentrated deposits and are expensive to separate and refine. The group …

Almost a decade ago, I would have wagered my entire wealth on the defeat of candidate Donald Trump in the primaries of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. My premises were clear: presidential elections should be contests among politicians, of which the U.S. has an abundance, making it unlikely …

Yang Xite The “plenary sessions” of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee play a crucial role in determining the country’s future policy direction, and if one wishes to know where China is heading, it would be indispensable to understand these plenums. From October 20 to 23, the Fourth …

Dr. Gad Yishayahu Ultimately, the war has shredded more than a few assumptions about Israeli strategic and military limitations. Exactly twenty-four months after the October 7 massacre that ignited the October 7 War, the first stage of President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan has taken effect. Under …

Aaron Bartnick In competing with China in global markets, the United States should not seek to create an imitation command-economy from scratch. At an October 15 event promoting investment in the United States, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked: “When you are facing a nonmarket economy like China then …

Alexander Langlois The Trump administration must be ready to apply pressure to Benjamin Netanyahu if it wants to save its peace plan. Any semblance of a ceasefire in Gaza died this week with Israel’s brief resumption of total war against Hamas on October 28. While Israeli Prime Minister …

Janan Ganesh A lack of rare earths is just one way in which nature disadvantages the continent As the European wine harvest ends, we might reflect on that controversial word “terroir”. It is hard to define but tends to refer to the non-human factors of production: the geographic …

Maya Carlin USS Ford (CVN-78) represents a generational leap in the Navy’s power projection strategy. While the US Navy’s 10 Nimitz-class supercarriers have earned their reputation as true forces of power projection, the service’s newest carrier class is considered to be even more capable. Currently, the USS Gerald R. …

Joseph Epstein Armenia’s prime minister has diligently worked for peace and integration in the Caucasus despite withering domestic criticism. The political survival of Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has been nothing short of remarkable. Since rising to power during Armenia’s 2018 Velvet Revolution, the embattled prime minister has …