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International Diplomacy
commentary
The Good and Bad of the Trump Administration's New Africa Strategy
Michael Shurkin @MichaelShurkin
Dec 20, 2018
The Hill
The Trump administration's Africa strategy combines a turn away from counterterrorism as a priority, emphasis on trade, and working to help Africans solve their own problems, all of which could be opportunities for a more positive relationship. The implied prioritization of great power competition, however, suggests the real risk of a return to Cold War-era approach.
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Military Strategy
commentary
An Army Caught in the Middle Between Luddites, Luminaries, and the Occasional Looney
David E. Johnson @DaveJohnsonDC
Dec 20, 2018
War on the Rocks
The creation of the Army Futures Command is an important and necessary move for the U.S. Army. For the first time since the 1970s, the Army has a major command focused on preparing it for future war with a peer competitor.
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Globalization
blog
Most Popular RAND Blog Commentary of 2018
Dec 20, 2018
RAND experts publish hundreds of pieces of RAND Blog commentary every year, weighing in on pressing policy questions, breaking down current events, and untangling complex trends. To look back on some of the policy stories that defined the year, we've rounded up the RAND Blog pieces that resonated most with rand.org visitors.
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Cambodia
commentary
Does Nuon Chea Still Have No Regrets?
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Dec 19, 2018
The Diplomat
Nuon Chea was convicted of genocide in a tribunal in Phnom Penh in November for his role in the Cambodian genocide. Shelly Culbertson relays the story of her trip to interview him at his home in Pailin in 2003.
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Social Media Analysis
blog
Best RAND Videos of 2018
Dec 19, 2018
RAND research yields findings that run the gamut of potential applications and promising policy solutions. Here, we highlight three of 2018's most captivating videos featuring RAND research and its potential to inform policy.
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Tobacco and Smoking
commentary
Vaping May Have Its Place, Just Not With Teens
Michael Stephen Dunbar, Elizabeth J. D'Amico
Dec 17, 2018
CNN
While e-cigarettes may be a “safer” option for adult smokers, they are not safe for young people. Teens who vape are significantly more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes in the future.
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International Economic Relations
commentary
The Trump-Xi Meeting at G-20: Kicking the Can Down the Road
Rafiq Dossani
Dec 14, 2018
RealClearWorld
Much was expected of the discussion at the 2018 G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires between the United States and China on their ongoing trade war. However, nothing of significance emerged. With signs of a global economic slowdown surfacing earlier than expected, the failed outcomes of this meeting could come back to haunt world leaders.
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Crime and Violence Prevention
article
Helping Police Find Better Strategies to Fight Crime
Dec 14, 2018
Which police interventions work best in certain situations, and which don't? A new RAND resource helps police choose the best strategies—and put them to work.
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China
commentary
Is This the Beginning of a New Cold War?
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Dec 12, 2018
ChinaFile
It has become increasingly common for observers of world affairs to contend that the United States and China have either entered into or are poised to embark on a new Cold War. While the contours of a long-term contest between Washington and Beijing are undoubtedly forming, especially in the economic realm, the analogy is problematic.
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Energy Conservation
commentary
Can Innovative Financing by the Public and Private Sectors Build on Momentum in Energy Efficiency Improvements for Affordable Multifamily Housing?
Lisa Jonsson, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright
Dec 12, 2018
The Energy Collective
Nearly one in three American households in 2015 reported difficulty paying their energy bills or sustaining adequate home heating and cooling. Emerging models of energy services and financing show promise, and could identify creative ways to increase access to funding that could preserve and improve home affordability for millions of Americans.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
The Future of the Global Jihadist Movement After the Collapse of the Caliphate
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Dec 11, 2018
International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT)
The future of the global jihadist movement is likely to resemble its past, with groups of militants dispersing to new battlefields, from North Africa to Southeast Asia. In this fragmented and atomised form, IS could become even more dangerous and challenging for counterterrorism forces, as its splinter groups threaten renewed and heightened violence throughout the globe.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
ISIS's Use of Social Media Still Poses a Threat to Stability in the Middle East and Africa
Antonia Ward
Dec 11, 2018
Georgetown Security Studies Review
The importance of social media in projecting violent extremist propaganda and recruiting foreign fighters is well documented. As ISIS attempts to regroup and recuperate, investigating its strategic use of information and communication technologies in its communication with civilians could be important to understanding the group's plans to regain territorial control.
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United Kingdom
commentary
The UK Can't Have Its Brexit Cake and Eat It Too
Charles P. Ries @charles_ries
Dec 11, 2018
The Hill
If the UK wishes to negotiate free-trade deals around the world, it has to either rebuild a border in Ireland or put up a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. If it crashes out of the EU with no agreement, the economic costs are the highest and border chaos is likely.
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
commentary
NATO Needs a European Level of Ambition
Hans Binnendijk, Gene Germanovich
Dec 10, 2018
Defense News
As NATO finalizes its new political guidance designed to shape future military forces, it has the chance to both strengthen Europe’s commitment to burden-sharing and relieve American concern about the creation of a new European Army. Building an enhanced European capacity within NATO entails some risk, but the benefits may outweigh concerns.
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Russia
commentary
No Russian Let-Up on Ukraine
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Bradley Martin
Dec 7, 2018
Fox News Channel
Moscow's seizure of Crimea and war in eastern Ukraine have led the West to sanction Russians and expand aid to Ukraine, and NATO to shift land and air forces eastward. Expanded Russian coercion may draw more NATO naval power closer to Russia’s shores and lead to tougher sanctions.
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