OpEd Column Syndication distributes opinion-editorials (op-eds), commentary and expert columns to newspapers, media outlets and think tanks worldwide at no cost to the publishers.

  • Problems with Boris Johnson’s New Proposals on Irish Backstop

    [John Bruton] A ‘Northern Ireland only’ backstop would not protect Republic of Ireland’s trade with Britain which is more valuable than trade across the border with Northern Ireland.

  • The Coming Peace in Afghanistan

    [Yead Mirza] USA’s growing desperation to end the Afghan war – driven by the understanding of ‘costs versus benefits’ of the longdrawn conflict –  would bring about a positive result for achieving peace in not-so-distant future.

  • Bay of Bengal Countries Losing Coastal Areas to Rising Sea Level

    [Bahauddin Foizee] If the environment of the Bay of Bengal region continues to deteriorate due to climate change, millions of inhabitants living in coastal areas would become climate refugees.

  • Alternatives to Open Space Workplaces

    [Fotini Mastroianni] Employees face many problems in the modern-day open space workplaces. There are several alternatives (and solutions) that might help.

  • China, the Neo-Colonial Power in Africa

    [Ellington Ngandu] China’s increasing unfair economic domination on African economy, market and products as well as Chinese cultural hegemony have the potential to undermine African identify, sovereignty and development in long-term.

  • Ukraine’s Election and its Prospect for EU Membership

    [John Bruton] Ukrainian leaders are using the goal of EU membership as the spur to get their voters to accept uncomfortable reforms.

  • Yemenis Dying while Blame-Game Continues

    [Syafruddin Arsyad] After four years of war, many wonder what actually caused the parties to enter into a conflict that both sides are now finding hard to end.

  • Brexit: Living with Backstop until Alternatives are Agreed

    [John Bruton] If the British alternatives to backstop are all that good, why can they not live with the backstop until the alternatives are agreed?

  • Rethinking U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in a Changing Geopolitical Scenario

    [Bahauddin Foizee] Rather than viewing the MDT as an inflexible anchor, it should be seen as a dynamic framework that must evolve alongside the geopolitical realities of the Asia-Pacific.

  • Thailand’s Growing Defense and Military Ties with China

    [Bahauddin Foizee] The growing military cooperation raises questions about Thailand’s long-term strategic intentions and the balance of power in Southeast Asia.

  • Iranian Regime’s Lost Moral Standing in Syria & Iraq

    [Bahauddin Foizee] Iran’s IRGC had carried out the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Syria with the help from Assad’s army and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. In Iraq, the IRGC had carried out the campaign with the help of sectarian elements in Iraqi army, Iran-backed militias and Hezbollah.

  • Trump Administration’s Mideast Policy

    [John Bruton] Trump Administration’s Middle East policy is increasing the risk of unintended conflict between the US forces and Iranian forces & loyal militias. The policy is also making a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict impossible and a one-state solution more inevitable.

  • New Way Forward on Brexit

    [John Bruton] How might a New Way Forward on Brexit be uncovered if the Existing Deal is not Accepted?

  • Vietnam’s Salience in India’s Act-East Policy

    [Dr. Pankaj Jha] Under India’s Act East policy, Vietnam will remain the important vantage point to project India’s development, trade and investment priorities.

  • Brexit Testing UK’s Parliament Sovereignty

    [John Bruton] Parliament, not the monarch, and not people by referendum, is sovereign — a principle not contained in a written constitution, but it is longstanding in the UK constitutional system.

  • Europe Ignores Correlation between Economic Growth and Birth Deficit

    [Fotini Mastroianni] While there is massive immigration from other countries, many European countries’ domestic productive population that would help local economic growth is pushed to immigration — a policy that is bizarre and does not help economic growth.

  • The Changing Himalayas: Environmental Transformation and Climatic Vulnerability

    [Bahauddin Foizee] The Himalayas should, therefore, be understood not as a collection of permanent and isolated physical features, but as a constantly changing environment in which climatic conditions, water systems and the stability of the land are closely related.

  • Problem Lies with Brexit Itself

    [John Bruton] New barriers – including the fact that the UK will be (after Brexit) having different standards, trade arrangements and tariffs than the EU – will bring delays, extra bureaucracy, and eventually bankruptcies, in their wake.

  • Open Letter to Aung San Suu Kyi

    [Asma Masood] Is it not time once again, Ms. Suu Kyi, to sing the tunes of Myanmar’s democratic spirit?

  • Kondratieff Wave and the Coming Big War

    [Fotini Mastroianni] Reasons for this war will be the intense competition mainly on raw materials and markets as well as on the multipolar distribution of military power among big countries.

  • Large-scale Farming Good for Environment

    [Robin Limb] Innovation, entrepreneurship and technology have important roles to play in feeding the world’s growing population.

  • Asian Quad: Synthesis between China’s OBOR and US-led Quad

    [Dr. Pankaj Jha] The idea of an Asian Quad – comprising of Japan, India, Vietnam and Indonesia – would help to narrow the growing mistrust between China and the US, and would create an edifice acceptable to both. Hence, these two major powers need to subscribe to this idea of an Asian Quad.

  • European Commission’s Paper for “No Deal“ Brexit

    [John Bruton] European Commission’s Paper sets out the preparations necessary for Brexit without a deal.

  • Is Neo-liberal Economic Model a Failure?

    [Fotini Mastroianni] Neo-liberal economic model is being represented as more glorified in many countries across the world, though the model is proven to be a complete failure in the first country of its full implementation i.e. the United States. Yet this model of complete misery is applied across the world, including Greece.

  • Harder Brexit Means Harder Resolution of Irish Border Problem

    [John Bruton] The proposals the United Kingdom government is making for its future relationship with the European Union will run into a number of obstacles in coming days.

  • Problems with Open Space Workplaces

    [Fotini Mastroianni] For the high-performance employees who need quietness to concentrate on their works, the open spaces with the bustle created by other employees are an inappropriate environment. For the employees who tend to need their own space, the continued presence of others ‘above their heads’ may be a martyrdom.

  • Syria, Hezbollah’s Next Lebanon

    [Manish Rai] With its permanent presence in Syria, Hezbollah wants to deliver the message that the borders have collapsed and that there are new rules of engagement, to the detriment of the Sunni countries as well as Israel.

  • India’s Lingering Concerns over Chinese Influence in Indian Ocean, South Asia

    [Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra] Mutual suspicions would dictate relations between China and India for a long time to come.

  • Peaceful Mobilization More Successful Than Violent Resistance

    [Fotini Mastroianni] Major peace campaigns were more successful compared to violent resistance campaigns.

  • Asia’s Geopolitical Alliances are Shifting

    [Conn M. Hallinan] From what direction on the Compass Rose the winds out of Washington will blow is hardly clear, but increasingly a number of countries are charting a course of their own.

  • War against ISIS: Does the Battlefield Success Alone Count?

    [Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra] While the intervening powers have palpably shown enough resolve in removing despotic regimes like the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam of Iraq or in keeping Assad Regime in Syria, they failed to provide any stable alternatives which could bring about normalcy and political and social stability.

  • Instead of Blaming Neighbors, Afghans should Fix the Problems at Home

    [Manish Rai] The ethnic and sectarian imbalance within the Afghan national military creates misunderstanding and mistrust among different ethnic and sectarian groups towards the army, making it look like a foreign force.

  • America: the ‘Shining City on a Hill’ or the ‘Dark Village in a Valley’?

    [Michael Curtin] In the 18 months of the Trump presidency, the bedrock principles – upon which the US democracy was founded – have been torn asunder. The dual mantras of “America First” and “Make America Great Again” are simply code names for isolationism. The dismantling of the liberal international order – which has served the…

  • Cooperation between Assad and Kurds in Syria

    [Manish Rai] The Damascus negotiations [between Assad and Kurds] are more realistically an attempt to test the waters and we should not have any high hopes from these initial talks. The negotiations will be long and arduous process, as the Assad regime is very centralized. keeping the country united and stable requires decentralization by way…

  • Inside Putin’s Head

    [Cynthia M. Lardner] Russian President Vladimir Putin tries to legitimize his disregard of the ‘rule of law’ by claiming that all former territories dating back to the Byzantine Era and native Russian speakers must be protected by “Mother Russia”. However, the reality is: these territories give Russia access to warm water ports necessary to ship…

  • World Humanitarian Day: Honoring Aid Workers and Civilians Trapped in Global Hotspots

    [Michael Curtin] To those who closely follow the United Nations, the World Humanitarian Day is a day of special remembrance for the loyal UN aid workers who travel to the world’s most dangerous hotspots assisting civilians caught in the crosshairs of conflict and global health emergencies.

  • Mexico’s New Government: Best in North America

    [David Swanson] Mexico now has the best national government in North America. Atleast that’s the hope of those who elected Andrés Manuel López Obrador, aka AMLO, aka Peje, on a platform of sweeping out the corruption — a platform promoted in Obrador’s book.

  • Russia is America’s Friend

    [David Swanson] “Russia is our friend.” It’s a case that could fill volumes. I don’t make this case suffering under some delusion of the perfect saintliness of the Russian government, neither now nor at any time in history.

  • Anarcho-Populism, A New Ideology?

    [Fotini Mastroianni] Failure to understand the new ideological framework will be the cause of the collapse of many political parties and coalitions that exist today.

  • Time to Re-Examine the Atlantic Alliance

    [Conn M. Hallinan] The NATO was a child of the Cold War, when the West believed that the Soviets were a threat. But Russia today is not the Soviet Union, and there is no way Moscow would be stupid enough to attack a superior military force. It’s time the NATO went the way of the…

  • Whither Regional Cooperation in South Asia?

    [Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra] Putting sensitive bilateral issues out of the SAARC mandate has not yielded any positive results. Instead, the forum has been held hostage to bilateral disputes [largely between India and Pakistan]. The requirement of consensus has prevented SAARC from making any headway on desirable proposals on regional integration.

  • Low oil price and the renewable industry

    [Robin Limb] The oil giants have never truly engaged with the concept of renewable energy, mainly because it is tiresome, high cost, and fraught with issues surrounding government support and legislation. To this day, it remains more expeditious and economic to simply keep pumping the ‘black stuff’ [read oil] out of the ground. The whole…

  • Trump and the Big Bad Bugs

    [Conn M. Hallinan] Trump’s disdain for international agencies and treaties, plus cuts in public health programs, and a relaxation of regulations on the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry could create a worldwide medical catastrophe.

  • Iran on the Verge of Total Revolution

    [Manish Rai] Iranian currency, Rial, has lost 40% value since May when Donald Trump pulled out of Iran deal and announced sanctions. Now Rial is one of the most worthless currency on earth. What’s more, Iran is experiencing its worst drought in 50 years, leaving electricity output from hydropower plants at a bare minimum. Capital…

  • Xi Jinping, the Revered

    [Felix Imonti] During the National People’s Congress (NPC) in October of 2017, Xi’s failure to mention his successor was an implied hint to his intention to remain the chairman of the Communist Party for as long as he chooses; and the NPC has granted him a limitless reign.

  • Indo-US Strategic Relations: Strengths and Limits

    [Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra] Strategic relations between the US and India evolved steadily and were steered by multiple factors like size and population of India, impact of Indian soft power on US’s leaders and people, relative stability of Indian political and economic system necessary for bilateral trade-and-investment and the alignment of interests of these two…

  • In Coming Days, There will Not be Enough Food to Go Around

    [Robin Limb] Although the global population is forecast to hit 9.4 billion by 2050 compared to just 7.2 billion today, the stark reality is: without the promised food supply productivity, the world’s population will never approach 9.4 plus billion people, because there simply will not be enough food to go around.

  • Maiden UN Report on Human Rights Status in Kashmir Attracts Criticism from New Delhi

    [Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra] Despite India’s long-standing concerns over the Kashmir issue, human rights are no more considered domestic concerns with the growing institutionalization of international human rights laws and norms and, therefore, the UN report falls squarely with the Pakistani attempt at internationalizing the issue. However, even after several Pakistani attempts in seeking international…

  • Sugar Coated Iceberg?

    [Robin Limb] Without wanting to recycle the endless justifications for sugar’s role in our diet, it is worth remembering its contribution to the food chain.

  • The Necessity of Multilateralism

    [Cynthia M. Lardner] It is not just multilateral relations between countries that are suffering, it is also the institutions created through multilateral treaties, especially those tied to the Rome Statue, that are failing their essential purpose. Even the stability of the EU has been threatened by nationalism, including Brexit.

  • Houthis: Iran’s New Hezbolla in Making

    [Manish Rai] Iran is transferring the know-how in ballistic missiles to Yemenis. Iran is also using Yemen as a testing ground for its missiles. The greater Iranian support to Houthis is not surprising. What’s surprising is that the Houthis, who claim they are fighting to liberate Yemen (in name of Yemeni nationalism), have blindly chosen…

  • The Spanish Labyrinth

    As the socialist-led government takes over in Spain, newly minted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces at least two daunting tasks: cleaning up the wreckage wrought by years of European Union (EU) enforced austerity and resolving the Catalan crisis exacerbated by Madrid’s violent reaction to last fall’s independence referendum. Unfortunately, his Party’s track record is not…

  • Afghanistan’s Continuous Strive for Independence and Neutrality

    [Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra] Although Afghanistan needs international assistance to rebuild as a state, attempts must be underway to restore its lost independence and neutrality.

  • Hard to Replace Khalifa Haftar in Libya

    [Manish Rai] Khalifa Haftar, a veteran general and strongman in Libya has recently returned to his stronghold and headquarter in the eastern city of Benghazi following an extended absence, including reported treatment in Paris hospital for a stroke. General Haftar has been part of the Libyan political scene for more than four decades, shifting from…

  • Understanding the Chinese Approach to Gulf Affairs

    [Muhammad Zulifikar Rakhmat] China’s expanding role in the Gulf during recent years has prompted much analysis, from both inside and outside the PRC. While these studies have enriched our understanding to a certain extent, they often fail to provide a sufficiently nuanced interpretation. A more comprehensive approach is necessary. The existing literature on China-GCC relations frequently…

  • Are We Really on a Road to Nowhere?

    [Robin Limb] Food production is a unique industry – without it, nothing else happens. Unfortunately, it has also become a highly politicized industry, with stakeholders of all colors and creeds rushing to join the party. It is no longer just about putting food on your plate: it involves multinational giants, NGO’s, governmental organizations, and many…

  • Climate Change is Happening, But Not Global Warming

    [Robin Limb] One by one, there are more and more reputable scientists and commentators coming off the fence and admitting that there is no real, peer-reviewed, evidence that man-made global warming is to blame for the natural weather events that we observe on a daily basis.

  • Civil Wars, Use of Force and International Peace

    [Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra] Western security perspective’s preoccupation with the enforcement of rights of individuals may call for international intervention taking an intense form bent on a regime change even at the expense of human security.

  • Quds Force a Threat for Peace in the Middle East

    [Manish Rai] Qud force, which is the Iranian regime’s primary foreign action arm for executing its policy of supporting terrorist organizations and extremist groups across the region and around the world, is clearly an obstacle for the process of peacemaking and stabilization in the Middle East.

  • “Smart” Protectionism is Here to Stay

    [Daniel Wagner] The tension between populism and globalization can only grow with time, particularly during the disruptive period we are in. As a result, there is clearly a role for smart protectionism to play, which will undoubtedly grow in the future.

  • The Iran Nuclear Agreement is not Worth Saving

    [Daniel Wagner] The US made its position on Iran deal perfectly clear and soon Europe’s position will be as well. It is now up to the Iranians whether the Iran deal continues to exist, or a new, improved agreement is ultimately crafted.

  • Turkey’s President: Short Term Victory, Long Term Trouble

      When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a presidential and parliamentary election June 24—jumping the gun by more than a year—the outcome seemed foreordained: the country is under a state of emergency, Erdogan has imprisoned more than 50,000 of his opponents, dismissed 140,000 from their jobs, jailed a presidential candidate, and launched an…

  • The Rise of the Middle in the Era of “Hybrid” Politics

    [Daniel Wagner] Not so long ago, voting age Americans were either Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, and a climate change denier or a bunny hugger. It was deemed safe to stake out a position at one end of the political spectrum or the other, under the assumption that most people were not “lost” somewhere…

  • New Alliance Could Re-shape Middle East

    An unusual triple alliance is emerging from the Syrian war, one that could alter the balance of power in the Middle East, unhinge the NATO alliance, and complicate the Trump administration’s designs on Iran. It might also lead to yet another double cross of one of the region’s largest ethnic groups, the Kurds. However, the…

  • ‘Why, This Isn’t Cuba’

    [David Swanson] Back in the 1890s those who believed conquering a continent was killing enough (without taking over Hawaii, the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, etc.) included Speaker of the House Thomas Reed. He clipped an article out of a newspaper about a lynching in South Carolina. He clipped a headline about “Another Outrage in Cuba.”…

  • Indonesia’s Inadequate Protections for Migrant Workers

    [Muhammad Zulifikar Rakhmat] A month ago, on March 18, Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded Muhammad Zaini Misrin, a 53-year-old Indonesian driver despite pleas for clemency by President Joko Widodo. Zaini, who allegedly killed his employer in 2004, went to his death insisting he was not guilty. Migrant Care, an Indonesian organization focusing on the welfare of…

  • Achieving Global Risk Agility

    [Daniel Wagner] A tornado does not plan in advance where and when it will strike. A cyber or terrorist attack, by contrast, is not a random event. While large organizations can often shield themselves from the financial consequences of many risks, the ensuing reputational harm can irrecoverably erode market share and stakeholder trust. Small to…

  • Had Enough of Our Broken Political System?

    [Daniel Wagner] If you are like me, you have had enough of just about everything that America’s current political system represents, such as institutionalized and legalized corruption, nepotism, and ‘career’ politicians. Both the Democrats and Republicans are guilty of perpetuating a terribly broken system, and neither of them appear to be interested in changing the…

  • Cold, Yet Beautiful, Arctic Might Become Target of War Machines

    [Bahauddin Foizee] If the disputes over the control of Arctic resources are not resolved quickly, they could turn into a larger military conflict that would not just involve the Arctic countries, but would also drag a larger part of the world into this conflict.

  • Don’t Count on History to Predict the Future

    [Daniel Wagner] Pollsters, stock pickers, and political prognosticators have been spectacularly wrong in their predictions in the recent past—so frequently that doing so has become the norm. Their overreliance on historical performance to attempt to predict the future has often proven to be fallacious. Twenty years ago they might have been justified in presuming that…

  • Militarization’s Brutal Assault on the Environment

    [Bahauddin Foizee] Wars and militarization around the globe have been seriously impacting the environment of not only the war-torn countries, but also the other countries around the globe.

  • China Cannot Have it Both Ways

    [Daniel Wagner] At last year’s opening ceremony of the Chinese Communist Party’s Nineteenth Congress, President Xi Jinping proclaimed his belief that China was on the precipice of becoming a great global power. He declared that China was no longer a poor country. Indeed, having lifted the vast majority of its citizens out of poverty, China…