Kissinger’s Shadow has been heralded as one of the must-read books in political science and international relations for both students and the every-day history buff . In this piece we will review Kissinger’s Shadow, a monograph by Greg Grandin and see if it truly is a new standard in the field (spoiler: it’s an excellent piece of scholarship). Grandin is a very well published Professor, who taught at New York University before finding a new home at Yale. His research is originally grounded in Latin American history, specifically publishing The Blood of Guatemala. He has since expanded his research to encapsulate a larger international perspective. Outside of his monographs and teaching endeavors, he has continued to write extensively and serve on the board of the publication The Nation.
Welcome to our Referendum Rundown! Our new series on elections from around the world. This series will take a look at elections from around the world. Coverage will cover different aspects of elections including, candidate rundowns, predictions and implications, and results and analysis. Our election coverage will often have a foreign policy angle, as that is our expertise, and it ensures relevance to global audiences. My personal interest and expertise will mean that you can expect coverage to focus on Northeast Asia, specifically South Korea. However, my own intrigue will often lead me to explore elections from around the pacific. In the coming days you can expect pieces previewing several key elections from around the Indo-pacific. Australia, South Korea, and Canada are all set to have elections in the coming weeks. While other states, like Japan, are inching their way towards a general election in the near future.
In 2024, the world saw the most people in human history cast their ballots for their respective states. As we have come to see, democracy can be a fragile system. We should stop and take the time to appreciate the time we live in. Millions of people get to have a voice in the government that rules over them. This concept would be unheard of just a few centuries ago. When each person gets a say in politics, politics becomes messy. The electoral process is attempting to get a group of people to have a conversation and come to a decision. This conversation becomes increasingly complicated. It’s difficult to have a productive meeting with 5 people talking, let alone millions. This messy, complicated, and fragile system creates equally complicated, and at times, unexpected results.
Whether or not we will ever see more people vote than in 2024 is yet to be seen. We are in a time of democratic backsliding across the globe, making each election increasingly important to watch. It is our goal to bring you along for the crazy ride that is a world full of vibrant elections from all around the world!
South Koreans and international observers are struggling to remember a time when tension on the Korean Peninsula has been higher. We have seen North Korea sending trash balloons into South Korea, including over the Blue House, so in response, Seoul resumed loudspeaker broadcasts towards the North. In recent days, we have even seen North Korea send over 7,000 troops to reinforce Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
