NATO’s Climate Change 'War,' Kissinger’s Legacy, Gaza War’s Geopolitical Impact, and More
This week on Inkstick Media.
Hello, everyone.
It was a busy week in foreign policy and international affairs. I’m Patrick Strickland, the new managing editor at Inkstick Media, and this is my second weekly rundown of what we have been working on.
Despite a temporary ceasefire, Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip has resumed, now passing the two-month mark. With world attention fixed on the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, it’s no surprise that the conflict is taking a geopolitical toll in other regions of the world.
In Africa, as Obiora Ikoku reports for us, the war is putting to the test Israel’s years-long push to build a network of strong diplomatic and economic relations with countries across the continent. Meanwhile, from Athens to Brussels, the Gaza war has also prompted criticism of the way European officials have responded to the crisis, Victoras Antonopoulos reports.
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But that’s not all that we’ve been covering. Khamsone Sirimanivong and Pajouablai Monica Lee penned a poignant examination of the late Henry Kissinger’s legacy in Southeast Asia, a region where many still live with the scars of the wars he once championed. Ramona Wadi, too, did a deep dive on Kissinger’s legacy, this one examining his history of supporting coups and military juntas in Latin America.
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Here’s what’s new on Inkstick Media this week:
“Cracks in the African Techie Dream” by Olatunji Olaigbe (Dec. 4)
In recent years, the African tech ecosystem has grown at a breakneck pace. But as an economic slowdown that started in mid-2022 turned into a global downturn in early 2023, African and international startups were rocked by an alarming rate of layoffs.
“NATO Cannot Combat Climate Change” by Nico Edwards (Dec. 4)
As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization tries to fashion itself as a first responder to the climate catastrophe, the alliance is framing climate action in the rhetoric of war. But this development should stop us in our tracks.
“The US Bombed My Country Thanks to People like Henry Kissinger” by Khamsone Sirimanivong and Pajouablai Monica Lee (Dec. 5)
Henry Kissinger reached the height of his power as the secretary of state and national security adviser under President Richard Nixon. Even after his death, his bloodstained legacy lives on Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and far beyond.
“Henry Kissinger’s Legacy of Bloodshed in Latin America” by Ramona Wadi (Dec. 6)
While Kissinger’s legacy in Southeast Asia is high on the list of discussion topics, he also played a leading role in fostering instability and instigating coups across Latin America. As part of the US’s push to prevent the spirit of the Cuban revolution from spreading, the Kissinger helped the effort to prop up right-wing dictatorships and military regimes from Chile to Bolivia.
“Israel’s War in Gaza Also Impacts African Geopolitics” by Obiora Ikoku (Dec. 7)
After the 1973 Middle East war, Israel’s diplomatic relations with most African nations collapsed. But in recent years, the Israeli government has made a push to build political and economic ties with countries across Africa. Now, the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip could take a toll on those diplomatic efforts.
“The Indo-Pacific is the Theater for The US and China’s High-Stakes Diplomacy” by Kritika Jothishankar & Narayani Sritharan (Dec. 7)
At a time when the often dizzying and strained dance of diplomacy between the US and China continues, India has positioned itself as an important strategic proxy in the Indo-Pacific theater. But even as India emerges as a bulwark to Chinese influence, smaller countries in the region—for instance, Nepal—are finding themselves caught in the crossfire of its more influential neighbors’ opposing interests.
“Fire Medicine for the Anthropocene” by Cassandra Blondin Burt (Dec. 8)
As climate change ravages much of the world, it is common to hear western rhetoric about fire prevention or to stop fire altogether. But Indigenous wisdom can help us realign our relationship with nature to balance the climate more holistically.
“How Israel’s War in Gaza Sows Division in the European Union” by Victoras Antonopoulos (Dec. 8)
Since Hamas-led fighters carried out a deadly attack on Oct. 7, Israel has launched a full-scale war that has included an intense bombing campaign and a ground invasion. As European officials pledge their unwavering support for Israel, critics say pro-Palestinian voices are being ignored or silenced.