March Roundup
Newsletter 007 -- The reverberations of war. In Sri Lanka. Across the African continent. And more.
Welcome back!
This month’s roundup attempts to show the true reach and cost of war - looking at how war plays out in different theaters, beyond the borders where direct combat is taking place, and how these theaters of war can be just as violent. In a recent episode of Throughline, author Viet Thanh Nguyen, talks about how we remember war. He explains that perhaps the reason America keeps finding itself in the middle of wars we can't get out of is that, America either “deliberately or accidentally” forgets to consider that “other people are humanbeings with their own histories, cultures, experiences, and predilections”. It is not only dehumanizing, but it is dangerous to look at this war with tunnel vision. Dangerous to make decisions that solely address the here-and-now without considering how we will have to live with these effects for years to come. Dehumanizing in the way that elements of this conflict have been carried out to take dignity from some and only see it in others.
We also investigate how the invasion of Ukraine is changing Foreign Policy and international relationships. The invasion marked the end of our pax-Americana, but Western peace came at the expense of the nations in the Global South we upended. Now, we are entering a new era of Great Power competition. But things are different now than they were in the ’60s, the ’70s, and the ‘80s; America is no longer a moral leader, a reliable ally, or the only economic powerhouse in the world.
Well, here’s your roundup!
» Reverberations of War
This incredible Forum, brought together international officials and academics from around the globe to discuss the repercussions of the Russian invasion on the rest of the world. Pierre Sane’s speech stood out most, for me. — Alexis
Russia’s Invasion Put this Island Deeper in Debt. People are Dying Wating for Fuel.
The ripple effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is being felt in Sri Lanka where people are experiencing power cuts lasting hours, obscenely long fuel lines and scarcity of basic necessities. Although the Russian invasion didnt create these problems, it is exacerbating issues the developing country has been grappling with for some time now. In the case of Sri Lanka, the reverberations of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, look like this: Due to imposed trade restrctions on Russia, Sri Lanka has lost its ability to sell one of its most populare exports (black tea) to its biggest importers, Ukraine and Russia. Like other nations of the Global South, the island relies on cheap foreign imports (including wheat from Russia and Ukraine) to bolster their pantries, and these imports are now too expensive for much of the population. And, of course, the exorbatant price of fuel, due to sanctions on Russia. All of this is sinking Sri Lanka further in debt and making it nearly impossible for much of the population to afford necessities. Polling suggests that Americans are content with the notion that they would shoulder the brunt of Russian sanctions at the gas pump, if it means supporting Ukraine. But, for some nations, the repurcussions of this war are a burden they are ill-equipped to handle. — Alexis
Italian Mayor Who Housed Mideast and African Migrants Faces 13 Years in Prison
Since the start of Brexit, the world has become familiar with Europe’s anti-immigrant sentiment. However, it’s becoming even more clear that Europe’s anti-immigrant sentiment is more about covering for their racism. Italy just welcomed 35,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, while the Mayor of Riace, Domenico Lucano, has been fighting a 13-year prison sentence for welcoming hundreds of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. Lucano created a program that resettled and integrated refugees into his small community, and it revived a town that young Italians depopulated by moving away. The far-right in the country retaliated by cutting funding to his program, putting him on house arrest, and accusing him of “colonizing Italy with migrants”. The dangerous notion that white/European refugees are worthy of care and empathy while brown and Black refugees are not, is a racist double standard. And this double standard is exhausted, and painful for those Black and brown people who, in their darkest moments, were shunned and villanized by the world. Italy has signed onto both the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol which broadly defines what a refugee is and what assistance they should receive. And, while there is no one enforcing these standards, it is clear Italy, and the rest of Europe, do in fact have the capabilities and know-how to resettle, and support the immigrants they deem worthy. — Sarah
‘Today’s Ukraine, Tomorrow’s Taiwan’: There is Nothing Inappropriate About the Comparison
America’s employed diplomatic tactic of strategic ambiguity in Taiwan is sparking political anxiety on the island in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The island of Taiwan has strategic importance to the U.S. and China. Taiwan is the U.S.’s 11th largest trading parter, a crucial link in Silicon Valley’s supply chain, and, because of its location, security and economy, its of great interest to the U.S. Congress proves this by regularly passing pro-Taiwan legislation, with unanimous bipartisan support. Due to its relationship with China, the U.S. doesnt formally recognize the sovereignty of Taiwan. We’re playing it cool, but experts know that if China were to reunify with the island (as it says it plans to do) it would become a Pacific power with the ability to control oil shipments to Japan and South Korea. This is a point of leverage it could use to demand both of these nations close down U.S. military bases within their territories. Foreign policy experts and pundits are worried what messages the Russian invasion might send to China. If China decided to take military action to invade Taiwan, it is true that the world’s response would calculate differently, due to its power and global influence, and this doesn’t bode well for Taiwan. — Alexis
TW: children facing malnourishment Almost a decade after experiencing their last famine, Somalia will soon face another. Resources provided by international aid agencies are now being redirected from Somalia, to Ukraine, leaving Somalia in worse condition than the previous famine. — Sarah
» Sanctions
This episode looks at how U.S.-imposed sanctions and economic inducements have panned out in the Middle East. The Iranian and Egyptian examples in this episode are case studies for how sanctions might prove to be an ineffective strategy when dealing with Putin and what it could look like if the U.S. were to support Ukraine after the war. — Alexis
Ezra Klein speaks with economic historian and director of the European Institute at Columbia, Adam Tooze, about the efficacy of sanctions and how Tooze thinks the West’s sanctions of Russia might play out. — Alexis
The U.K. sanctions Roman Abramovich, halting his plan to sell Chelsea Football Club
If you’re familiar with FIFA, or other global sports entities, you know that politics and sports usually go together. For many years, FIFA, UEFA, and others have avoided politics when it comes to issues like colonization, illegal occupation, and outing corrupt stakeholders that work with them. In some cases, these global sports entities have punished those who use the sport or their audience to share political messages. For example, in 2009, the Spanish Federation gave Mali’s striker, Frederic Kanoute, a yellow card after he revealed his t-shirt which expressed support for Palestine. Other players who have publicly condemned Israel’s occupation and treatment of Palestinians have been met with fines, strict warnings, and/or suspension. The U.K.’s move to send such a strong message of support for Ukraine proves they know that tackling these big injustices requires putting pressure on any and all spheres of influence you have access to. And, for athletes, international sports arenas are their spheres of influence. — Arezo
» The Problem With Western Intervention
We are leaving the era of (so-called) pax-Americana, and entering a new era of Great Power conflict. If this is the case, Western countries will have to grapple with how they’ll be expected to wield power and align on new common objectives. — Alexis
The Limits of Foreign Intervention in Promoting Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
“...it would be unreasonable to expect the U.S. government...or any government for that matter… to secure the rights of women in a foreign land…”
In 2015 the USAID received a grant of $216 million to launch their gender equity program, Promote, in Afghanistan. According to the 2018 audit of the program, they were unable to determine what, if anything, the program had actually accomplished. Experts point to the lack of public buy-in and inclusion of Afghan women in identifying the scope and objectives of the program, as the main reason for its failure. This is a powerful critique of the Western savior complex which robbed Afghan women of the opportunity for real change. The article suggests that a radical paradigm shift away from the donor-centric model of support, and towards a grassroots method - wherein Afghan women (who are best suited to identify their needs) lead teams in properly navigating the unique socio-cultural landscape of women in Afghanistan in order to complete successful projects. The abrupt end to the war in Afghanistan, and the U.S.’s chaotic and clumsy exacuation didn’t leave the Afghan people (women and children in particular) in any better a position than when the war began. — Alexis
Andrew Bacevich: Ukraine Is Paying the Price for the US “Recklessly” Pushing NATO Expansion
Now that NATO and the U.S. are aggressively sanctioning Russia and sending funds ($13.6 billion) to help Ukraine, we wanted to dig into why the U.S. is so adamant about isolating Russia. In this interview, Andrew Bacevich, co-founder of the antiwar think tank, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, speaks about the creation and ongoing expansion of NATO. — Arezo
19,000 gallons of fuel leaked from a U.S. Navy facility, poisoning the water supply of Hawaiian families in Oahu. The Pentagon says that it will drain all 180 million gallons of jet fuel that sits above their aquifer, but families dont trust the military will ensure their water is safe again. — Alexis
» The Business of War
Putin Resorts to Syrian Mercenaries in Ukraine. It's Not the First Time.
Corporations and countries around the world have all utilized mercenaries, despite the fact that, according to General Assembly Resolution 44/34, they go against international law. A well-known example of a mercenary group is Blackwater (now Academi), remembered, most tragically, for carrying out the Nisour Square Massacre in Iraq, where they killed 14 civilians without cause. The deployment of mercenaries is a breach of international law and because of this, discretion is required, making it difficult to keep track of this work. We don't know how ubiquitous the use of contractors and mercenaries will be in this conflict, but there is already news that contractors have been hired in Ukraine, and that the Wagner group is hiring Syrian mercenaries to fight alongside Russian troops. Mercenaries historically draw out conflict for profit. And, there is fear that if the use of mercenaries and contractors is normalized, wealthy families might begin to hire contractors to build their own private armies. Regardless, the privatization of military expertise is incongruent with the stated peace-loving values of the West, who themselves have administered thousands of contracts like these in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Israel, and sub-Saharan Africa. Russia is recruiting specialized mercenaries from an ally state (Syria), but we’ve heard from African nationals fleeing Ukraine, and from those on the continent of Africa, that Ukrainian officials have actively tried to recruit African nationals to fight. Experts have a difficult time drawing a hard line between mercenaries and contractors, and in times of war and chaos where lines of ethics are ambiguous, this is where dirty business thrives. — Alexis
US House Approves $13.6 bn in Aid for Ukraine in Huge Spending Bill
The US. House approved a bill for 13.6 billion dollars to be sent to Ukraine and its European allies. Part of this amount (6.5 billion dollars) is earmarked specifically for troops and allied forces. What is significant about this is not that money is being sent to a country facing an invasion and a refugee crisis, because by all accounts that is a good thing. However, viewed with a critical lens, this spending bill should bring up many questions for Americans. Firstly, countless American citizens are struggling to survive amidst a pandemic that is far from over. Americans with disabilities, and those who are immunocompromised, in particular, are facing massive difficulties receiving access to healthcare and are struggling economically. Yet, a spending bill to assist Americans amidst COVID-19 was pushed to the wayside. In addition, historically, the U.S. has begrudgingly welcomed refugees and has never passed a spending bill of this size for other countries facing similar violence as Ukraine and even larger refugee crises. — Sarah
» Updates & Suggestions
The Taliban has banned girls from attending school just hours after they reopened for the first time in 7 months. Until further notice girl’s schools from secondary school and up, have been told to close. — Sarah
A podcast series about the history of U.S. Intervention in the Middle East
A reader that offers a deeper understanding of China-Taiwan relations
An article on how we could tell border stories more humanely
A link to read the interview Nick Mulder did about his book on the history of sanctions (mentioned in the Klein/Tooze podcast).
Thanks for being here. Please subscribe and share us with your friends. And, if there is a news story that you would like to hear more about, or if you are interested in contributing to the newsletter, email us at 823newsletter@gmail.com!
In Solidarity,
The 823 Team