Ghost Guns, Syria Sanctions, Drones in Africa, and More
The latest at Inkstick Media.
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Across the two months since he returned to office, President Donald Trump has assembled a team of hardliners to take aim at government agencies, protesters, and the media. At the same time, Robert Benson argues, Trump has dragged the US further to the right, fostering dangerous alliances with authoritarians the world over.
At this point, you’ve no doubt heard quite a bit about the Trump administration’s foreign funding cuts that are sending shockwaves through countries around the globe. In Iraqi Kurdistan, Winthrop Rodgers reports, those cuts have left the country’s small-but-dogged independent journalism scene reeling.
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“Hit Print for War” by Things That Go Boom (March 17)
If you live in the US, buying a gun can be as easy as going to Walmart. In countries with strict gun laws, you need a little more ingenuity. Although not that much more: Since March 2020, anyone with access to a cheap secondhand 3D printer and experience putting IKEA furniture together can do it.
“It’s Time for the US to Lift the Sanctions on Syria” by Zaher Sahloul (March 18)
As Syria stands at a crossroads, the US has an opportunity to rectify its past failures. The fall of the Assad regime, following a swift military campaign by opposition forces, has opened a window for change.
“The Destroyers Are Here: The Rise of the New Authoritarians” by Robert Benson (March 19)
Trump is leading the world into a new era of disorder. For decades the United States has anchored a post-war liberal international order that, despite its flaws, ensured collective security and supported its democratic allies. Today, that foundation is crumbling.
“US Foreign Aid Cuts Hobble Independent Media in Iraqi Kurdistan” by Winthrop Rodgers (March 20)
In Iraqi Kurdistan, independent media outlets rely on foreign funding, much of it from the US, to stay afloat in an environment where most journalism is linked to political parties. After Trump’s foreign funding slashes, they’re grappling with the fallout.
“Deep Dive: Drones Are Ramping Up Death Tolls in African Conflicts” by Inkstick (March 21)
A new report by the Drone Wars UK watchdog estimates that the proliferation of MALE drones in Africa was responsible for the deaths of at least 943 civilians across 50 incidents between November 2021 and November 2024.