Fareed Zakaria is one of the most intelligent observers of world politics and he has written an op-ed piece that demonstrates the growing tensions between national interests and global norms. The essay captures the growing power of nationalism in the world at precisely the time that globalization was supposed to diminish the appeal of purely national interests. More worryingly, the rise of nationalism parallels the earlier period of rising nationalism that led to World War I. Nation-states, most notably the US, have a duty to reinforce global interests to counter this trend.
Ukraine is offering concessions to the pro-Russian separatists in the city of Donetsk. The promises include greater autonomy and the power to appoint regional leaders independently of the central government in Kiev. The concessions are very substantial and dramatic, and indicate the degree to which Ukraine is trying to avoid a confrontation with Russia. At this point, it is not clear whether those concessions will appease the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Palestinian Authority has signed the Geneva Conventions, marking the PA’s desire to establish its identity as an independent state. Switzerland has accepted the signature, and the accession marks a true breakthrough for the Palestinian Authority. The move triggered a number of countermoves by the Israelis, but it is unclear what Israeli objectives are since the coalition of Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to be breaking under the pressure. There are a bewildering number of possibilities for the negotiations at this moment, but we will have to wait until a more coherent strategy emerges to assess what happens next.
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