Governance

74 Items

WWI Centenary Commemorated at the Tower of London in 2014 with 888,246 ceramic poppies

Shawn Spencer-Smith/ Flickr

Analysis & Opinions - Atlantic Council

100 Years Later: Reflecting on the Lessons of World War I

| Nov. 11, 2018

"An abiding lesson for the United States is that we must remain committed to Europe—to our democratic allies in NATO as well as to our strategic partnership with the European Union," writes Professor Nicholas Burns, Faculty Chair of the Belfer Center's Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship, in his reflection on the 100 years since the end of the First World War on November 11, 1918.

The flag of the European Union

Richard Revel

Analysis & Opinions - The National Interest

A Call for Realism in Europe

| May 27, 2018

Strategic thought in Europe is underdeveloped. Hard power and military force remain beyond the scope of many Europeans. That is a problem because the extent to which Europeans can understand the world determines the extent to which they can exert influence. The United States are in a relative decline and there is no guarantee that Washington will protect Europe against the rise of China, the threat from Russia, and/or the instability from the Middle East. Europe will have to stand upon its own feet and take responsibility for its own fate. Doing so not only requires significant investment in military resources, but also a renaissance of European realist thought.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at the German Christian Democrat Party convention in Leipzig, Germany, Nov. 14, 2011. She said the European Union must be strengthened to overcome the bloc's debt crisis.

AP Photo

Analysis & Opinions - The Boston Globe

A Rethink for Europe

| November 17, 2011

"Initially, with Europe exhausted by two world wars, fascism, totalitarianism, and the threat of communism, the EU helped to keep the peace. While combining the coal and steel communities in Germany and France served economic interests, the treaty that brought them together was always about more than dollars and cents. After all, no war could be fought, and no army could be armed, without independent access to mines and steel. Continental Europe tied its own hands to avoid slaughter in the future."

The Euro sculpture sits in front of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, Apr. 28, 2010. Three weeks away from potential default, Greece saw its borrowing costs spiral higher, a day after Standard & Poor's downgraded its bonds to junk status.

AP Photo

Policy Brief - Quarterly Journal: International Security

A Bleak Future for the European Project

| May 2011

"...[A]bsent an overwhelming threat, the Europeans have had little reason to maintain their economic union. This is not to argue that the demise of the Soviet Union has given them a reason to dismantle the EU—only that it has removed their incentive to preserve it. Consequently, the EU has started to fray as member states have put national interests ahead of those of the union."

Unidentified relatives visit an excavated beach in Waterfoot, Northern Ireland, Nov. 2, 2010. Forensics specialists searching for unmarked graves of Irish Republican Army victims may have found the remains of Peter Wilson, who disappeared in 1973.

AP Photo

Analysis & Opinions - The Boston Globe

BC Should Hand over Irish Archive Tapes

| May 23. 2011

"That the confidentiality agreement is sacrosanct because it involves the history of war in Northern Ireland is a romantic and dangerous defense. Terrorist organizations kill innocent victims; it’s what defines them. Replace IRA with Hamas and we wouldn't be having this theoretical debate. Among the incidents the police are investigating is the 1972 death of a widowed mother of 10."

Marchers hold placards that read: "We are all Armenians" & leaflets with the photo of slain ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul, 23 Jan 2007. More than 100,000 marched in the funeral procession for Dink who had angered Turkish nationalists.

AP Photo

Journal Article - South European Society and Politics

Defending the Nation? Maintaining Turkey's Narrative of the Armenian Genocide

| September 2010

"On the Armenian question, AKP has demonstrated some willingness to reconsider the issue, and has taken steps in the direction of change. Over the past several years, especially under the leadership of President Abdullah Gul, AKP has engaged in a gradual rapprochement with Armenia, culminating in the October 2009 signing of a protocol to establish diplomatic relations by the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia. While this step does not constitute a change in the official narrative, the two states have agreed in principle to the creation of a subcommittee to look into the 'historical dimension', which could lead to change in the future."

A man passes by a poster of the right-wing Swiss People's Party which shows a woman wearing a burqa against a background of a Swiss flag upon which several minarets resembling missiles at the central station in Geneva, Nov. 4, 2009.

AP Photo

Analysis & Opinions - World Policy Blog

Kind Hearts and Minarets

| December 16, 2009

"Sarkozy's efforts to shake up the pensée unique in France are commendable. An attitude that stemmed from France's wounds in World War II and that exhibited itself in hypersensitivity toward any slighting of national sovereignty is now démodé. The French president has likewise departed from the reflexive attitude of disapproval toward the United States, NATO, and Israel. But in emphasizing France's Christian roots (as he has done repeatedly), he is risking alienating those in France who are not Christian and those who are not believers."

Grace McMorrow, 10, from London with her face painted as part of the St. Andrew's Day festivities being held at St. Andrew's Square Garden in Edinburgh. Picture date: Nov. 28, 2009. Homecoming Scotland will highlight Scotland's achievements.

AP Photo

Analysis & Opinions - Sunday Herald

Is Saint Andrew's Day Worth Celebrating?

| November 28, 2009

"Last week, I was at the Illinois Saint Andrew Society — the oldest charity of its type in Illinois — where I had the honour of being awarded its Distinguished Citizen's Award. The creed of that society says it all. "We welcome everyone," it runs, who is Scottish "by birth, heritage or simply by inclination." It is a positive form of nationalism, which brings out the best in people. As a Scottish Muslim who is proud of both parts of my identity, I feel this especially strongly. If we leave Saint Andrew's Day to those who want to associate Scottish nationalism only with our Christian past, we are sunk. Celebrating our fine Scottish heritage is especially important these days, when there's a danger of ceding Scottish nationalism to the political Scottish nationalists, and thereby subtly de-legitimising those of us outside the SNP who are still proud of our Scottish heritage and want to see Scotland grow ever-more strong, prosperous and successful."