July 2016

Military Transformation
commentary
Book Review: 'China's Military Transformation' by You Ji
Timothy R. Heath
Jul 5, 2016
H-Net
China's military has undeniably made tremendous strides in recent years. You Ji's book provides a collection of interesting and often perceptive observations on political and intellectual aspects of a rapidly modernizing People's Liberation Army.
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Military Ships and Naval Vessels
commentary
Indonesia-China Tensions in the Natuna Sea: Evidence of Naval Efficacy Over Coast Guards?
Lyle J. Morris @LyleJMorris
Jul 5, 2016
The Diplomat
The notion that Southeast Asian countries should employ coast guards instead of navies to enforce maritime laws had been gaining currency. But many of the coast guard fleets lack sufficient capacity to deal with the threats along their coast and in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
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commentary
Revisiting Restrictions on Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men
Sarah MacCarthy
Jul 5, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
The FDA does not accept blood from male donors who have had sex with a man in the last 12 months. Is this restriction supported by scientific evidence? Or, is it related to lingering stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS?
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
commentary
Why Brexit Won't Necessarily Hurt NATO
Michael Spirtas
Jul 3, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Concerns that the Brexit vote could weaken NATO are overblown. There will likely be a wide range of fallout that will spread beyond the economic realm, but the European Union is not NATO and it's far too early to expect dramatic outcomes.
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International Economic Relations
commentary
Grasping the Brexit Moment for Free Trade
Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz
Jul 1, 2016
The National Interest
The United Kingdom's surprising vote to exit the EU turned another tricky day into a possible social crisis. But where there is crisis, there is also opportunity, and the vote presents an opening for another step forward of global trade and investment liberalization.
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Transportation Safety
commentary
The Response to Every Terrorist Attack Cannot Be Another Checkpoint
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jul 1, 2016
The Hill
The Istanbul attack will renew calls to extend existing security screening at the front doors of terminals. But checkpoints create bottlenecks and queues of people waiting to get through them, which then become an easy target.
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