Category: Foreign Policy

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The Information War: How Foreign Actors Use Disinformation to Destabilize the West

By Vincent DiFonzo ’25, Managing Editor

Vincent DiFonzo ’25 at the Israeli-Jordanian Border during the EI Contours of the Middle East 2023 trip.

Russia Today is an English-language Russian state-owned media outlet widely known for its biased reporting and spread of misinformation in order to defend the government of Vladimir Putin. The network specifically broadcasts in English to reach foreign audiences, giving the Kremlin a voice to whisper in the Western public’s ear. 

Last week, the United States Department of Justice formally accused Russia of election interference through the spread of disinformation, largely due to U.S. support for Ukraine in their ongoing war and U.S. deterrence of Russian aggression against its neighbors since the Russian Federation’s founding in 1991. 

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Is the United States Ready for Another War in Europe?

By Kalyan Mukherjee ’27

Kalyan Mukherjee ’27

American foreign policy is at a critical moment. Between the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict, there is no question that the State Department is more than busy. Renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo in the Balkans threaten to burden the United States’ role in the region even more. Due to the history of US involvement in the Balkans, we would almost certainly be obliged to get involved if a conflict were to break out. This would overstretch the already limited aid the US can give allies, especially because of increasing polarization within the US government.   

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China and the Pax Americana: Adapting Ancient Strategy for Modern Times

By Brandon Fey ’27

Brandon Fey ’27

Competition is the ultimate inevitability of ambitious statehood. Since antiquity, the growth of aspiring powers has been tested by the defiant presence of other powerful states. This is the legacy of great powers, which the United States has now claimed. American preeminence, the global “Pax Americana,” is currently threatened by the aspirant People’s Republic of China. If this definitive struggle is to be successfully endured, the United States must learn from the fates of its predecessors. 

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Let’s Talk About Geopolitical Illiteracy

By Sophia Meyer ’24

Sophia Meyer ’24

If there is anything that shows the American public’s lack of education on foreign policy and geopolitical issues, the Pew Research Center’s 2022 survey on citizen knowledge tells it all. The report presents a startlingly grim picture and should alarm anyone who reads it. Only about half of Americans correctly answered questions about our involvement in the global system. Just 48% knew that Ukraine was not part of NATO. Only 51% could answer that Antony Blinken is the current U.S. Secretary of State. A solid 25% of respondents answered Not Sure on eleven different questions. This geopolitical illiteracy was evident among men, women, all education levels, all ages, and all political affiliations. What does that say about our understanding of our place in the world? More importantly, what does it say about our ability to form educated opinions on domestic and international politics?  

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Congressional Dysfunction: The Many Failures of the 118th Congress

By Naveen Wineland ’27
Managing Editor, Ike’s Anvil

Naveen Wineland ’27

On February 15, the House of Representatives went on vacation, a two-week recess until February 28. This recess occurred despite numerous pressing challenges requiring our legislature’s urgent attention. During this break, Avdiivka (one of the most critical “fortress cities” in Ukraine) fell to Russian advances due to a lack of American weaponry. Also during this recess, tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants crossed the border due to a lack of adequate legislation from Congress. This is all occurring amid a looming government shutdown, especially since the recess left Congress almost no time to make a deal. A shutdown was narrowly averted with temporary funding through March 8, with 12 funding bills once again in limbo. This is only one manifestation of a House incapable of legislating since being sworn in on January 3, 2023. 

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Drag Shows Are No Threat to National Security

By Sam Arkin ’23

Sam Arkin ’23

Drag shows are not typically the first thought that comes to mind when asked about national security. However, they have become a significantly contested issue in the security realm. On March 29, against a backdrop of anti-LGBTQ+ state laws passed throughout the United States, drag was raised as an issue during a meeting of the House Armed Services Committee on the Pentagon’s 2024 budget. During the testimony of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Under Secretary of Defense Michael J. McCord, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) inquired into drag performances held on military bases. 

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The Role of Language in Defining National Security

By Marisa Conners ’26

Marisa Conners ’26

Words have meaning, and that meaning translates into reality. The more influence an individual or organization has, the more their language could become dangerous and incite violent action. As a participant in Professor Annie Morgan’s Emerging Threats in National Security program, I have learned of the vital role that language plays in the study of national security threats and government policy.

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Reevaluating America’s Role in Israel

By Vincent DiFonzo ’25                                                                                                        Managing Editor, Ike’s Anvil

Vincent DiFonzo ’25

Last March, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel as part of the Eisenhower Institute’s Contours of the Middle East program. I visited during a time of political crisis. Israel’s young democracy was being challenged—not by a foreign power—but by their own prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. During the trip, our group met with a diverse range of people from the region, including both a retired Israeli Defense Force (IDF) general and a member of the Palestinian National Authority, the provisional government of the West Bank. These two people, from opposite sides of the conflict, disagreed on many things, yet they likely would have agreed on one: Netanyahu’s attempted judicial reforms, which would allow him to end his own corruption trial, are harmful to Israel. Israelis overwhelmingly opposed the changes and took to the streets in massive numbers to protest Netanyahu’s power grab. 

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What the Iran-Saudi Arabia Pact Means for U.S. Foreign Policy

By Ameer Mohra ’25

Ameer Mohra ’25

As China’s economic and political power expands, the world order is moving away from unipolarity and towards a bipolar balance of power. Economic growth has driven China’s rise for the past few decades, transforming it into a major global player in trade, finance and investment. The United States, on the other hand, has been grappling with a range of domestic and international challenges that have contributed to a perception of declining global influence. The pact between Iran and Saudi Arabia, brokered by China in March, has further sidelined the US and weakened its power in the Middle East.

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The Future of Drone Warfare

By Blake Dudley ’23

Blake Dudley ’23

Much of the recent discussion on warfare has focused on drones and their impact on the battlefield. Though drones are vital in war, they are not the game-changer they might initially seem to be. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine has revealed that while drones play an important role in combat, they do not truly revolutionize modern warfare, which is still largely characterized by traditional weapons and tactics.

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 is one of the most important and overlooked conflicts in recent history. Evolving from an ethnic dispute in Nagorno-Karabakh, the war was a bitterly fought affair in the Caucasus mountains between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The conflict was brief, lasting only 44 days, yet the lessons learned and, more importantly, the tactics used have shined a light on the new era of warfare.

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