All tagged Ukraine
Warfare inevitably destroys human life. Human life is the fuel war runs on and the medium through which it is carried out. For all of history, humans have organized to destroy one another in this brutal contest. From clubs and spears to cannons and rifles, war has been an omnipresent fixture of human history. However, recent developments have seen a shift in how conflict is carried out - namely, the introduction and development of drone technology.
As the list of countries haunted by genocides and war crimes grows—Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to name but a few—the notion of justice becomes increasingly translucent, mirroring the institutions that are supposed to champion it. With the International Court of Justice (ICJ) capturing headlines for South Africa's legal Case against Israel, we need to scrutinize another key player in the arena of international law: the International Criminal Court (ICC). This institution is tasked with bringing individuals to account for their roles in war crimes. Yet, as we delve deeper, we find the reality is often as ambiguous as the concept of justice itself, revealing a fine line between the idealistic pursuit of accountability and the practical challenges it faces. This situation demands a closer look at the ICC's operational efficacy and the broader implications for global justice and accountability.
The Russian-Ukrainian war shook the world with its dire consequences, and it might have shocked many. Still, this bloody turmoil’s genesis didn’t occur overnight; rather, an accumulation of past events gave birth to this war. So, what are these events, and how has the war impacted the world? Additionally, what can we do to prevent such a tragic event from taking place again?
In February 2022 the war in Ukraine was widely expected to last less than a week against a Russian invasion. Now, there is speculation that the Western support of Ukraine could last beyond 2025. There are similar estimations on when Russia’s necessary material and logistics will be eroded. Ukraine has been in the Russian sphere of influence for much of its history, and for hundreds of years was adjoined to Moscow through different regimes. Once the conflict manifested positive results for Ukraine’s defense, 45 countries hastily sent weapons once designated for their own militaries, to the soldiers who were now fighting their enemy.
Global inflation rates over the past year have been higher than they have been since 2012; similarly, inflation percentages in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU) since the start of the second quarter have been staggering. In the US, the UK, and the EU, the primary driver of the recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) elevation, in the US, and the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) in Europe, is the rising cost of energy and consumer commodities. The rising cost of consumer commodities, especially food, housing, and petroleum products has struck the world into a tumultuous spiral, causing the cost of living to rise to a level not seen since the 1980s, resulting in the global experience of all three types of inflation. Typically, only one form of inflation is seen; however, this reversion to a 1980s economy is the result of many factors and is relatively uncommon. This spiral has fueled riots and protests across Europe, causing protestors and legislators alike to demand monetary reform.
Global inflation rates over the past year have been higher than they have been since 2012; similarly, inflation percentages in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU) since the start of the second quarter have been staggering. In the US, the UK, and the EU, the primary driver of the recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) elevation, in the US, and the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) in Europe, is the rising cost of energy and consumer commodities. The rising cost of consumer commodities, especially food, housing, and petroleum products has struck the world into a tumultuous spiral, causing the cost of living to rise to a level not seen since the 1980s, resulting in the global experience of all three types of inflation. Typically, only one form of inflation is seen; however, this reversion to a 1980s economy is the result of many factors and is relatively uncommon. This spiral has fueled riots and protests across Europe, causing protestors and legislators alike to demand monetary reform.
At this moment in time, and indeed in history, the world that we all live in is a dangerous, chaotic place in so many ways. However, many Americans have their attention fixed on some tragedies as opposed to others. Stories of the Russian invasion into Ukraine, such as the siege and destruction of the city of Mariupol, have gripped the minds and hearts of many in the U.S. However, within this ocean of empathy for Ukraine, many Americans lose awareness of the multitude of disasters and loss of life occurring in other parts of the world at worst, and they devote less attention to them at best.
On February 24, 2022, Russia announced what its president, Vladimir Putin, called a “special military operation” into Ukraine. This war has damaged the global economy, the national economies of the world, and the lives and livelihoods of people in most regions of our planet, especially in developing countries. It has caused materials shortages, food shortages, and price rises in most regions of the world. However, what it is perhaps changing the most about the world is the Western-power-dominated global order. No longer do the nations of the West hold infinite power over international affairs; they now have serious contenders, most notably Russia and China.
