What Will Shinzo Abe’s Legacy Be?
Japan Times
Japan Times
Kuni Miyake, Japan Times
In the heat of media frenzy over the unsurprising LDP presidential election last week, a National Security Council meeting was held on Sept. 11 with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and Defense Minister Taro Kono in attendance.
Kevin Rudd, Project Syndicate
As we all know now, hand washing is one of the best frontline defenses against the virus that causes COVID-19. Yet three billion people â?" almost half of the world's population â?" lack access to basic hand-washing facilities.
Sam Olsen, SCMP
Ido Vock, New Statesman
Ruling party candidates have swept to victory in almost every regional contest – but the opposition also demonstrated its potential
C. Kadalayil, Nat’l
Japan's longest-serving prime minister will be a hard act to follow. His successor should not even try
Andreas Kluth, Syd. Morn. Herald
Binoy Viswam, The Hindu
The outcry in the Congress related to the management of affairs in the party seems to be worsening with each passing day. Yet, for the Congress, a leadership crisis is nothing new. The party has experienced such crises on multiple occasions. During the Tripuri Session in 1939, there was a contest between Subhas Chandra Bose and Pattabhi Sitharamayya for the post of president of the party. Sitharamayya was M.K. Gandhi’s choice, whereas Bose represented the new-age thinking of Jawaharlal Nehru and others. Читать дальше...
Council on Foreign Relations
Council of Councils global perspectives roundups gather opinions from experts on major international developments. In this edition, members of six leading global think tanks reflect on what reforms are the most important for the United Nations as it looks toward its next seventy-five years.
Yoichi Funabashi, Japan Times
Last month, the U.S. Navy deployed a strike force that included the aircraft carriers Nimitz and Ronald Reagan to the South China Sea for exercises. In an official statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: “The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire.”
Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy
The new Japanese prime minister shares many of outgoing Shinzo Abe’s policies—but isn’t as wedded to Abe’s big overhaul.
Orlando Figes, El Pais
What unites us? Shared values, culture or history? Are we any more than the sum of our parts? Old ideals are under threat: we must once again decide who we are
Alma Keshavarz & Kiron Skinner, TNI
Iraq struggled to find opportunities to expel Iranian influence, until Mustafa al-Khadimi. Since taking office in May 2020, al-Khadimi has shown promise in engaging with the United States on foreign policy issues, particularly on Iran.
M. McKenna, W. Times
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of arguably the worst congressional vote in this century.
Margaret Seymour, FPRI
International relations is going soft, with countries from India to Qatar to Turkey opting for soft power persuasion over hard power pressure. Soft power collectively refers to the tools in a nation-state’s arsenal that do not punish, reward, or threaten other actors into preferred behavior. It stands in direct contrast to hard power, that is, the tools which do serve as sticks and carrots in international relations. Soft power, for example, includes cultural exchanges... Читать дальше...
Bernard-Henri Lévy, The American Interest
Isn’t peace—true peace—the surest route to the most enduring security for the Middle East?
Eva Hartog, Politico
Russian opposition inflicts damage on Putin’s United Russia in regional votes.
Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times
True victory would be establishing a new consensus that his opponents are forced to accept
Maria Snegovaya, PONARS Eurasia
http://www.ponarseurasia.org/memo/russias-crumbling-power-vertical-decreasing-disposable-income-drives-discontentment