Will the Growing China-New Zealand Relations Sideline the US?
Some believe that PM Jacinda Ardern’s visit to the US indicates the inclination of New Zealand towards the US instead of China.
However financial interests between China and New Zealand indicate otherwise.
Since signing the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement in 2008, China has become New Zealand’s top financial collaborator, with goods and services exports reaching a whopping $21.5 billion in 2021.
Popular Conspiracy Theories About the September 11 Attacks
On September 11, 2001, just hours after the attacks, the first 9/11 conspiracy theories surfaced online. Since then, especially with the emergence of social media, they have grown in size and scope.
These conspiracy theories have continued to circulate and reached a much broader audience as a result of the emergence of new conspiracy movements online.
For instance, QAnon adherents hold the conspiracy theory that the US “deep state” was behind the attacks, among other conspiratorial viewpoints.
Arshad Sharif’s Death & the Suffocation of Free Speech
The recent assassination of the brilliant investigative journalist, Arshad Sharif, reflects the rising power of extremist ideologies and the diminishing space for political discourse.
The dark past of Pakistan (as well as that of Kenya) in terms of assassination and forced disappearances calls for a fair investigation into the murder of Arshad Sharif.
Investigating and sharing the truth is a right, and brutally murdering someone exercising that right is a crime against humanity.
China’s 20th Party Congress: Cementing Xi Jinping’s Historic Third Term
The 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ran from 16th to 22nd October this year. It is a critically important event because it establishes the party’s leadership for the next five years. It also sets the general policy perspective of that leadership on political matters and policy.
Indubitably, the most important decision taken this year was the confirmation of President Xi Jinping’s precedent-breaking third term.
This decision will make Xi the first leader since Mao Zedong to serve more than two terms.
Why Prison Abolition is a Good Idea in Pakistan
Tazmeen Imran examines the prison abolition idea from the lens of the prison system in Pakistan.
Seeing traditional prisons are no longer an effective method of punishment, she notes that the institution should possibly be abolished altogether.
She lists down the apparent inadequacies of the traditional prison system in Pakistan, and then discusses the possible alternatives.
The Global Refugee Crisis, State Sovereignty, & the Politics Behind it All
The dynamic relationship between refugee flow, rebel groups, and civil wars are often used by states to justify the rejection and expulsion of refugees.
While respecting the principle of state sovereignty, Shazeen Waseem discusses how it is necessary to establish a depoliticised and law-based framework to properly address the situation of the millions of refugees worldwide.
Myths Around Pakistan’s Nukes & National Security
Brig Syed Mushtaq Ahmed (Retd) dispels four virulent myths that have been making the rounds. These include:
1. Balkanization of Pakistan
2. Pakistan is a failed state
3. Pakistan is an epicentre of terrorism
4. The threat to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
He believes that the common objective is to debilitate and defang Pakistan—the only Muslim nuclear power that could threaten US, India, and Israel.
NATO 2022 Strategic Concept: A New Cold War
At the NATO Summit this year in Madrid, the 2022 Strategic Concept was presented and adopted by the alliance’s representatives. The latest strategic doctrine underscores one of the most significant policy shifts in NATO’s deterrence policy since the end of the Cold War.
The document declared the People’s Republic of China as a security challenge.
The alliance has now also categorically recognized the Russian Federation as the most significant and direct threat to the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region.
Chipping Away at the Katas Raj Temples
The authors recount their visit to the Katas Raj temples, a site of extreme cultural and religious significance. They shed light on the degradation of the site caused by both controllable factors like the government and multinational companies and uncontrollable factors like climate change.
Paradigm Shift’s Magazine: October 2022 Edition
On our followers’ requests, Paradigm Shift will now be releasing its e-magazine every month. Instead of following a determined theme, the monthly editions feature a curated list of pieces that centre around the latest news and developments.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Powerplant: The Looming Radiation Disaster
Built between 1984 and 1995, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, and one of the top 10 largest power plants in the world.
The plant was taken over by the Russian forces on 4th March, 2022, consequently severing its connection to the Ukrainian grid.
As it is located right in the middle of the war zone, concerns of a radiation disaster have been mounting.
US Intervention in Somalia: Justified or Unnecessary?
Huda Raza details the US-led intervention in Somalia, the political scenario behind the situation that led to the intervention, and the military measures taken by the Bush and Clinton administrations.
She also evaluates whether it was a fair intervention under the theory of just war.
The Long Awaited 2022 Parliamentary Elections of Nepal
Nepal has had a bitter history of power transitions and political instability. In yet another attempt to maintain democratic structures and bring political stability, Nepal is poised to hold its parliamentary elections on 20th November.
This will be the 11th such election since 2008, after Nepal abolished its 240-year-old monarchy.
The Rapidly Increasing Military Coups in West Africa
For the past three years, West Africa has experienced multiple military coups. This recent increase is attributed to the contagious effect of the military coup that occurred in Mali in 2020. The ‘coup fever’ has since then spread to Burkina Faso, Chad, and Guinea, and also led to an attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau.
The Irony of Europe’s Burqa Ban
Where some nations mandate veils and the burqa, there are others that forbid it. Haniya Ali reviews the legislation and policies outlawing the burqa in a few European countries that are seemingly free—and “champions of human rights”— i.e. Denmark, France, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland.
The Middle East Quartet & Its Role
The Middle East Quartet was set up in 2002, primarily to help mediate the Middle East peace negotiations. It has also been supporting Palestinian economic development and institution-building in preparation for eventual statehood.
The platform has an informal structure, but it provides fluidity to members to navigate crises.
Pakistan-US Relations: As Fickle as the Weather
The US has had a turbulent relationship with Pakistan since the country’s independence in 1947. Over the course of 75 years, minor changes have occurred in the way bilateral exchanges are conducted between the two nations.
Despite the rollercoaster relationship, the US has assisted Pakistan by providing necessary loans, humanitarian aid, and military equipment during exigent situations.
Moreover, the US is a major foreign direct investor in Pakistan’s economy, and its largest export partner.
However, bilateral relations between the two have been deteriorating because of scathing remarks and underhanded activities.
