By Jacob Wang (PO ’21) In its 2003 Thessaloniki Summit, the European Union (EU) declared that “the future of the Balkans is within the European Union,” suggesting that Western Balkan nations would one day be incorporated into the EU. Fifteen years later, the European Commission’s restated the EU’s commitment to the West Balkan nations on February 6, 2018. However, Despite the EU’s continued...
By Jacob Wang (PO ’21) The 2019 Budget of the U.S. Government released Monday on February 12, 2018, presents an uncertain picture of the future of the NASA space program. While the overall budget allocated to NASA stayed roughly in the same level as previous years, the Budget made clear US government’s decision to terminate direct financial support for the International Space Station (ISS)...
By Jacob Wang (PO ’21) The year 1995 was a turning point for the relationship between the United States and North Korea; prior to 1995, both countries refused to have any substantial contact with each other. The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) constantly and vehemently criticized the U.S. for imperialist capitalism and its support for South Korea. On the...
Jacob Wang (PO’ 21) On October 12, the United States House of Representatives passed the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 on a 420-0 vote, with 232 Republicans and 188 Democrats voting in favor of the legislation. Such a bipartisan cooperation is a rare occurrence in the U.S.’s growingly polarized and divided polity. This is indicative of the lack of partisanship...
Jacob Wang (PO ’21) Since the Tiananmen Square student demonstration movement in 1989, the People’s Republic of China has been repeatedly accused of violating international human rights law. The international community condemns China’s practices on two fronts: China’s restrictions on freedom of speech, religion, and political participation are seen as abuses against civil and political...
Jacob Wang (PO ‘21) Singapore has been lauded as the paragon of a multi-racial society where meritocracy prevails and different ethnic groups live in harmony. The three main ethnicities are Chinese, Malay, and Indian, which together account for 74%, 13%, and 9% of the population respectively. However, not all were content as Singapore welcomed its first female president, Halimah Yacob, in...
