2016 is certainly starting out to be a political Rubik’s cube. The US presidential campaigns are well underway. The field has narrowed for the Republicans. Key figures such as Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, and Rand Paul have fallen away. Donald Trump remains a frontrunner, while Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio each vie for that status. The Democrats two person race has Bernie Sanders gaining momentum on Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile around the globe, ISIS continues its terror; the Syrian refugees remain in crisis; the Zika virus is spreading; Russia, North Korea, and China continually flex to demonstrate might; and this past weekend, Justice Antonin Scalia suddenly and unexpectedly passed away leaving a constitutional vacuum on our US Supreme Court. And its only February.
Top Ten Global News of 2014
Since launching G.L.O.B.A.L Justice in September 2014, I am even more certain that awareness of global concerns is of tremendous importance in our current and future eras. International issues have been central in news stories throughout 2014 and have had an increasing impact on our communities, our country, and our world. While there are justice concerns in every region of the globe and many significant events from the past year, I highlight the following “Top 10” news stories for their impact during 2014 as well as their implications for 2015:
Implications Of The 2014 US Midterm Elections for Geopolitics
Tuesday, November 4 was a momentous day for Republicans in the U.S. The mid-term elections resulted in a streak of red across the country signifying several Republican wins for key elected positions in many states and most notably a decisive majority in the U.S. Senate. These victories may be explained in many ways: low approval ratings for the President, lack of confidence in the Administration and government in general, dissatisfaction in political gridlock, and a growing sense that a “changing of the guard” could be helpful. Whatever the reasons why the Republicans were elected, now that they are elected, the more significant question is: what will they do now? What will be the impact of this political shift of power? And, in particular, what are the implications for geopolitics?