Geopolitics

Perception is king in power politics. Audiences foreign and domestic take the measure of the leadership of a powerful nation—a behemoth like the United States. How observers gauge the capability, competence, and fortitude of that nation’s leadership determines how seriously they take statements of purpose issuing from its …

Hillary Clinton tried and failed. Now it’s up to another presidential spouse to try and crack the glass ceiling. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests that only one Democratic candidate would decisively trounce former president Donald J. Trump in November—Michelle Obama. Hillary Clinton tried and failed. Now it’s up …

Eng. Saleem Al-Batayneh In his seminal work on political parties, French historian and political theorist Alexis De Tocqueville (1805-1859) classified political parties into two categories: those that mesmerize society with their machinations and those that upend society with their ideas. This dichotomy is especially pertinent today as Jordan …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh As the world grapples with the dramatic shifts in global power dynamics, two pivotal events have particularly reshaped the international landscape: the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Russian military operations in Ukraine. These incidents have sparked intense speculation about the decline of American …

This week’s debate between President Biden and Donald Trump won’t produce much in the way of civil dialogue over the nation’s future. It’s more likely to resemble a demolition derby, with each contestant trying to knock the other off course. And, let’s face it, many viewers will tune …

Despite the incredibly high stakes of the 2024 presidential election, polling on Joe Biden versus Donald Trump has been exceptionally stable and apathy seems to be the prevailing mood among undecided voters. Among political journalists there is, understandably, a longing for game-changing events that will give this rematch …

Mexico’s president-elect will enjoy a wide electoral mandate, yet her predecessor wants to leave office with a flurry of questionable constitutional reforms.  Mexico voted overwhelmingly for Claudia Sheinbaum to become its next president. She won nearly 60 percent of the popular vote—6 percent more than the incumbent President …

What is needed is sustained and surgical military force that causes the Iranian regime to reconsider its immediate and long-term actions. Israel, unlike the United States, has demonstrated its resolve to respond with force to each and every attack against it by Iran or its proxies. However, it …

Despite their attacks on global shipping, the Houthis are much weaker than they appear.  With their increasing attacks on shipping passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, the Houthis, an Iranian-backed tribal group from the Saada region of Yemen who seized power a decade ago, …