Suchergebnisse

American sea power and forward-deployed U.S. naval forces play a crucial role for the defense and security policy of the United States. However, indiscriminate budget cuts, a degree of rebalancing towards the Pacific, some ground-breaking changes in strategic dependencies, and a shift in political priorities could curtail the U.S. Navy's abilities to influence events at and from the sea in some areas of the world. As a consequence, other powers need to fill the geopolitical vacuum, with very broad ramifications for European navies. This essay, although skeptical towards Europe's ability to muster such efforts decisively, provides some broad policy recommendations for how to optimize German and European sea power accordingly. (S+F/Pll)

Citing the importance of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as additional checks on the legislative & executive branches as well as their public policy influence, NGOs are dubbed the "fifth estate." A brief history of NGOs includes examples demonstrating their capacity to exert increasing influence at the international level. In light of this political power, attention is given to the dichotomous strengths & weaknesses of NGOs. Although not without some problems, the fifth estate is said to have been a positive development in world affairs; a few lessons to bear in mind when dealing with NGOs are delineated. J. Zendejas

I want to tell you an improbable story about how fifty years after the end of World War II, long-forgotten victims of not only the greatest genocide in history, but of what we learned was also the greatest theft in history, finally achieved some belated, as I call it, imperfect justice. This includes: those who placed their most precious assets in the safest banking system in Europe--in Switzerland-to keep them out of Hitler's clutches (for fifty years after the war, they were unable to recover them); those who were forced into brutal slavery and forced labor at the hands of German and Austrian employers and were never compensated (most of these, by the way, were non-Jews in Eastern Europe); those whose hard work, businesses, and apartments were confiscated and never restituted after the war; those whose insurance policies were never paid; and more broadly, those whose entire culture was stolen from them. It is a story of how some of the world's most powerful corporations were finally held accountable five decades after the end of World War II. It is a story of political intrigue, of diplomacy at the highest levels, involving our president and the heads of government of a number of European countries. It is a story of threats of sanctions by state and local authorities, and a story that involves a colorful cast of characters reminiscent of a Shakespearean play.

Examines the US-European economic relationship, tracing its roots to the post-WWII European integration movement. Recognizing that the European Union & the US are also competitors, trade disputes & the means to settle them are considered. Given the scope of US-EU trade, some suggestions are offered on how the states can better resolve disputes, eg, avoid the WTO for problems better solved elsewhere, & involve the private sector more. J. Zendejas