Gaza Hospitals, Defense Spending, AI-Generated War Crimes, and More
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In the US, policymakers and decisionmakers have long sought to bloat national security funding well beyond what the Pentagon asks for. While it rarely, if ever, makes us safer, such inflated funding does mean that decisionmakers can’t make practical tradeoffs when it comes to defense policy, Julia Gledhill argues in a new op-ed.
Meanwhile, Israel’s war in Gaza continues, and routine attacks on hospitals and medical facilities have left many shocked the world over. But Wa’el Alzayat and Osama Hamed make the case that attacks on hospitals are part and parcel of Israel’s decades-long strategy to crumble Palestinian morale.
In the same neighborhood, many fear that Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah are headed toward a full-blown war. In Lebanon, as Madeline Edwards reports, the growing conflict has put Filipina domestic workers in a tight spot.
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“Bringing it Home” by Laicie Heeley (June 24)
After a season spent examining feminist foreign policies around the world, the Things That Go Boom podcast turns its attention back to the US. Will the US adopt a feminist foreign policy? And what would that mean?
“What’s Behind Israel’s Attacks on Hospitals in Gaza?” by Wa’el Alzayat & Osama Hamed (June 24)
Since Oct. 7, the war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, displaced some 80% of Gaza’s population, and destroyed schools, residential buildings, houses of worship, and medical facilities up and down the Strip. With the bombs still falling, the need for safe healthcare is more pressing than ever.
“Israeli Conflict Puts Lebanon’s Filipina Workers in a Tight Spot” by Madeline Edwards (June 25)
Tensions are spiking between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, and many worry that a full-scale war is on the horizon. Meanwhile, Filipina domestic laborers are stuck amid uncertainty over whether Israel will expand the war and travel restrictions.
“The Risks of Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations” by Artin DerSimonian (June 25)
Like the lands that have separated Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces in the over 30-year period since their independence from the Soviet Union and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the bilateral negotiating process is littered with minefields waiting to go off at every turn.
“Unlimited National Security Spending Doesn’t Bring More Safety” by Julia Gledhill (June 26)
Runaway national security spending is integral to the never-ending pursuit of US military dominance. This pursuit is dangerous to both US democracy and the world because it encourages militarism — not just at home but abroad.
“The Era of AI-Generated War Crimes” by Bree Megivern (June 26)
Since the Gaza offensive began, Israel has leveraged AI in its military campaign, blurring the line between human and machine decisionmakers. If global leaders do not take meaningful steps toward regulating military-specific AI, their overall efforts for AI safety will be ineffective.
“Deep Dive: Financial Responsibility and its Discontents” by Emily Tamkin (June 27)
It’s a common phrase, “fiscal responsibility.” But what if, in assessing nations’ levels of fiscal responsibility, individuals thought of them not as countries, but as other individuals, applying heuristics in a way they would to a sibling or friend. A new paper examines.
“What Will Mexico’s Incoming Sheinbaum Administration Mean for Migrants?” by Ann Louise Deslandes (June 27)
Claudia Sheinbaum was recently elected president of Mexico, and she will take office in October. How will she handle migration at a time when it remains a key issue between Mexico and the US?
“Rethinking the IMF’s Role in Gender Equality” by Hanna Dooley (June 28)
It is a big step forward for the IMF to explicitly recognize the gendered implications of macroeconomic policies, but the institution’s strategy has ignored a crucial question: How can the economy more equally benefit women and men?
From the desk of Patrick Strickland, managing editor of Inkstick Media.
Photo: Filipina domestic laborers are stuck amid uncertainty over whether Israel will expand the war and travel restrictions (João Sousa for Inkstick Media)