Growing up in Buffalo with Canada just over the Niagara River, the deterioration of the relationship between the US and Canada over the past year is painfully acute. I was glad to see the Rochester daily, the Democrat & Chronicle, publish a piece I submitted shortly after the recent tumult in Davos:
I"m glad Kurt is doing the math - this is the craven zero-sum politics mentality that will make everyone worse off. Looking at a complex world as if it was the game board in Risk is never a good idea.....
We explored the downsides of a “sphere of influence” approach to international relations, reflecting on how the rules-based order that the US is actively dismantling was put into place following the violent first decades of the 20th century.
Were the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela the first chance to see what operationalization of the new US National Security Strategy looks like? I talked about this on “Connections with Evan Dawson” @WXXINews
www.wxxinews.org/show/connect...
Useful reminder that the application of ink to paper is only the first step of a process that requires dedication and support to people who want peace, and the marginalization of spoilers who profit from conflict and chaos at the expense of regular people.
Route 66 turns 100 in 2026! If you're thinking about hitting the Mother Road, check out some tips and ideas in this highlights video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=agk9...
There is little doubt that the new US National Security Strategy at least provides clarity; the question is whether democratic states who have lost an ally will finally abandon their complacency and resignation
Good review of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.... As the US trashes allies and embraces $$ this caught my eye: "Although eight countries abstained from the UDHR—South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and six countries from the Soviet bloc—no country voted against it, making the vote unanimous."
Excellent analysis and a reminder that while resistance against democratic threats does not have a 100% chance of success, continued complacency will have a 100% chance of failure
Sadly there is still often a sense that women should work on so-called "women's issues" while issues related to security, socio-economic opportunity, governmental accountability and corruption resistant politics are left to the same mostly male political actors who have failed for a generation
I wrote about this years ago in "Glass Ceilings and Constitutional Barriers: Challenges to Effective Political Participation by Women and Others in Bosnia and Herzegovina"
archive.transatlanticrelations.org/wp-content/u...
I will be curious to see what this report says, as the constitution that was included in Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement will never, ever be good for women because it is inherently a reactionary and regressive structure www.fena.ba/article/1654...
Evan Dawson @wxxirochester.bsky.social & I covered a lot of ground: 30 years of the Dayton Agreement; the deals proposed for Ukraine; & shifting tides as geopolitical transactionalists aim to displace the notion of comprehensive security grounded in human rights www.wxxinews.org/show/connect...
Good perspective on Dayton 30 years later....... if you are interested in a lighter look on Dayton TWENTY years after the war, check out Looking for Dayton: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ_Q...
...so many talks and retrospectives on Nov 21 marking 30 years after the Dayton Agreement, but a packed multi-generational crowd for legendary Belgrade band Partibrejkers at Sloga in Sarajevo showed the real energy and spirit of great music in a great city
As today marks the 30-year anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, it's a good time to watch the film I did on the *20-year anniversary*, when a group of us tried to bring a human perspective to the peace agreement and what it meant then and now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ_Q...
This is an excellent piece in a week when so many people are talking about Dayton 30 years on..... and often ignoring the role that "the west" has played in reinforcing the dysfunctional political economy enabled precisely by the Dayton structure
The Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes published a brief today on threats facing Bosnia and Herzegovina & steps the UK Govt can take to reaffirm the rule of law & human rights, and enable the country to make progress that would benefit its citizens www.atrocitystandinggroup.org/news/special...
In my remarks (available above), I emphasized that the best way to protect against hybrid threats is through comprehensive security, grounded not just in defense, but in accountable governance, human rights, & the values that have been at the core of the transatlantic relationship for decades.
I was honored to be on a panel at the NATO Defense College Foundation Conference, “Building bridges: diffusing hybrid threats for regional stability” in Rome yesterday - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtt5...
If you're in or near Sarajevo be sure to stop by tonight for this show- great new talent---
So what happens to these newly employed (mostly) men enjoying well paying jobs if & when the country decides that it does not want a huge federal domestic paramilitary force? Will they be disposed of as easily as lab researchers & educators? www.nytimes.com2025/09/08/us/pol...
Even more importantly, there needs to be a policy on taxing robots / AI labor.... then if they decide to unionize, well, great...
www.wired.com/story/model-...
Just saying that this explains my tendency to support the underdog: www.buffalobills.com/video/bills-...
Great chat with Evan Dawson today…. on how independent institutions & civil service are key to good governance, threats posed by the shadow docket & Trump's selective retribution, & future repairs to the US after this hacking of checks, balances & guardrails podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
"For most of the park’s history, Disney was priced to welcome people across the income spectrum, embracing the motto “Everyone is a V.I.P.” In doing so, it created a shared American culture by providing the same experience to every guest."
Well those days are over, Mickey.......
Imagine the reaction by POTUS if USAID got it….
