Russian President Vladimir Putin has managed to consolidate his power throughout the last twenty-two years in very cunning ways that have gone against many laws and constitutional provisions. These laws and provisions were enacted for the exact purpose of denying a dictator access to stay in power for long periods of time, but Putin, as an individual who governs through coercion, has managed to circumvent these previous attempts of sustaining democracy.

Putin began his career in government by rising through the ranks of the KGB, the premier intelligence agency of Russia. He retired from that agency but continued on in government as an advisor to various Russian politicians. Then, in 1999, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin names him Prime Minister, and then that same year, Yeltsin names Putin his successor as President. Of course, this all seems to be a conspired phenomenon, and the exact details are yet to be uncovered.

Putin remains President until 2008 when the Russian constitution says he can no longer continue, and from there he concocts a scheme to remain in power; after the election of President Yeltsin, Yeltsin makes Putin Prime Minister, a cunning strategy that ensured that all but ensured Putin’s continued reign. In 2012, Putin once again ran for and won the Russian Presidency, completely disregarding and going against the Russian constitution (How Vladimir Putin Rose to Power (businessinsider.com)).

Now, in 2021, Putin remains seated in his position, and this very year, Putin passed a law that could keep him in power until 2036 (Vladimir Putin passes law that may keep him in office until 2036 | Vladimir Putin | The Guardian). This is indicative of the sly and authoritarian character of Vladimir Putin.

These are strategies that can only be defeated with more guileful measures; the measures being taken to mitigate the overall rise of Russia must employ those sorts of tactics in an even further effective manner.

Works Cited

Engel, Pamela. How Vladimir Putin became one of the most feared leaders in the world. 17 February 2017. Website. 29 October 2021.

The Guardian. Vladimir Putin passes law that may keep him in office until 2036. 5 April 2021. Website. 29 October 2021.

The modern equivalent of the terrible acts of Nazi Germany is occurring currently on the other side of the globe in China (Information on the CCP and their genocidal acts against the Uighurs). It is a sad fact that in this technologically advanced age, atrocities like the one I am describing now still occur; that fact is testament that evil can exist under any circumstances, and that is why the good forces in this world must always be at alert to respond in kind to the evil.

The genocide is occurring against a majority-Muslim population that lives in a western region of China called the Uighurs. The evidence as to the actions that are being undertaken there have been derived using drone footage, leaked government documents and other forms of proof as well (Evidence of crimes against humanity in the Chinese purge of the Uighurs).

The number of Uighurs who have been sent to the horrible re-education camps is near the 1 million total, including women and children; in addition, there is evidence to show that the Chinese government has been using the Uighurs to forcefully manufacture products as well as engaged in immoral population control with forced sterilization of the Uighur women, as shown in the infamous Karakax files (Information on the CCP and their genocidal acts against the Uighurs).

Now, the proof of such abominable acts has been hard to obtain, and it is a necessary component of the puzzle in trying to halt the genocide from occurring. That is why it is essential that all citizens everywhere raise attention to this crisis of immense historical propulsion in order to hold the CCP accountable and save lives; in addition, it is imperative that citizens everywhere also urge their governments and other international organizations to intervene, as the Uighurs and their later generations need us.

Works Cited

Austin, Michael. China’s Uighur Genocide: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About the CCP’s Human Rights Abuses. 22 July 2020. Website. 22 October 2021.

Shepp, Jonah. What Is China Doing to the Uighurs in Xinjiang? 15 September 2021. Website. 22 October 2021.

While war is still a prevalent phenomenon in this modern world, the battlefield, much like it has all throughout history, is evolving to incorporate a new domain. The world has seen this type of evolution before, whether it be when the world went from spears to guns or when the world added the air as a fighting area in the 20^th century.

Now, in these modern times, the world has added the cyberwarfare arena, which with every day that passes becomes more and more prominent and effective in damaging nations. Cyberwarfare can attack the United States specifically in several distinct ways; for example, it can target nation’s abilities to respond to threats they face in domains outside of cyberwarfare, harm national security infrastructure and negatively impact our treasured democratic elections by being an avenue for foreign influence on U.S. domestic politics.

The nations who are most adversarial to the United States in the global arena are the key players in this emerging yet already solidly established cyber battlefield. The Chinese, Russians and Iranians in particular have all had a hand in trying to gain a strategic advantage over the U.S. utilizing the cyberwarfare tool in their arsenal; this truly illustrates the severity of the exponentially growing problem, as the enemies who the U.S. might yet still face in a conflict that costs human lives, are using this new weapon to play an international game of one upmanship.

The federal government has responded in kind to this threat, as the budget for the fiscal year of 2021 allocates $8.7 billion to “cybersecurity programs across the country”. In addition, it is proposed in the budget for the fiscal year 2022 that those funds increase even more to $9.8 billion (White House Allocation of Funds to Cybersecurity).

Furthermore, the federal government centralized the authority and polished the organization of the cybersecurity community with the creation of a new position called the Office of the National Cyber Director which will assist in streamlining the policy making of cybersecurity.

Moreover, the White House passed an executive order in May dedicated purely to improving the state of affairs as it relates to cyberwarfare in its entirety (White House Executive Order on Cybersecurity).

In closing, it can be observed that the cyber arena is a battlefield that is growing even more powerful as the days pass, but there are appropriate steps being taken to mitigate the threats the nation faces.

Works Cited

Actions, Presidential. Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity. 12 May 2021. Website. 16 October 2021.

Mitchell, Billy. White House allocates $9.8B to cybersecurity in 2022 budget request. 28 May 2021. Website. 16 October 2021.

A decade past since the Syrian Civil War began, and their brutal dictator, Bashar Al-Assad, remains in control of the country.

When protests erupted throughout the entirety of the Middle East in the now famous era dubbed as the “Arab Spring”, where many of the revolts around the region were leading to the ousting of the leaders of their respective countries, the protests in Syria sparked something unique (The Arab Spring’s effects on Syria). The protests, powered by the anger of the economic stagnation and the constant state of poverty, antagonized an impatient tyrant who launched an abominable campaign to quash the uprisings and remain in power at all costs. This campaign has prompted a civil war that has lasted to this very day, and it has become an area of an interest and indirect proxy conflict between two of the world’s superpowers, the United States and Russia.

In the decade long conflict, the estimates of the lives’ lost ranges from 350,000 to 606,000, and the number of Syrians displaced hovers around 12 million (The Statistics of Death in Syria due to the Civil War).

Furthermore, the Syrian government engaged in war crimes of the most awful kind, as they have deployed chemical weapons that have gassed and burned their own citizenry.

In addition, the alliance of two tyrants in Al-Assad and Putin between their two respective countries is a reason for more concern; the mere fact that Russia now has direct influence in the region is of vital significance to the United States and affects many of our goals and interests in the Middle East.

These are all points of rationale as to why the Biden Administration can no longer stand idle with respect to the Syrian Conflict, and they must approach it with the adequate policy to reflect the true values and strength of the United States: the spreading of freedom and democracy. No longer shall appeasement nor complacency be an option in this noble battle; in closing, the American people shall take a stand and urge the federal government to truly represent the ideals of the United States abroad.

The Split in the Syrian Civil War as of 2021

Works Cited

Odias, Hubert. The Arab Spring and Its Unintended Effects in Syria. 17 July 2017. Website. 8 October 2021.

The Associated Press. UN tallies 350K dead in Syria war, admits toll likely higher. 24 September 2021. Website. 8 October 2021.

The world is full of dictators as is evident in many of the regimes seen throughout the span of the globe. However, most dictators hold their positions in the global south which encompasses the often-unstable regions of the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia as well as Central and South America. Thus, Europe’s last dictator, Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko, is an outlier to be reckoned with.

President Lukashenko has been President since the position of President was established in 1994 after the dissolution of the Soviet States. In that time span, Lukashenko has ruled tirelessly with a totalitarian ideology, tampering with votes to rig elections, and quashing any dissent pointed in his direction. He has allied himself with Russian President and fellow dictator Vladimir Putin, only further expanding their influence in the region (Information on Belarusian President Lukashenko).

Most recently in 2021, protests nationwide in Belarus have erupted as the people have grown tired of the authoritarian rule which has prompted worldwide media coverage in many nations. This is calling attention to the unacceptable condition Belarus is now in (Lukashenko clings to power; protests erupt).

The dictatorship of Lukashenko is a terrible thing for a multitude of reasons, but the main reason is because tyranny is infectious; having that dictatorship within the boundaries of Europe, a more significant part of the world that is essential towards peace and stability in the global arena, is a dangerous predicament, as throughout history it can be observed that small events can trigger something much larger. In this case, the presence of Lukashenko could trigger more authoritarians to rise in Europe and disregard humans rights (Lukashenko Violating Human Rights, Rigging Elections and Being Unapologetic About It).

That is why the United States and its allies in Europe should be more involved in dismantling the rule of Lukashenko and his totalitarian regime. Of course, that is easier said than done, but there are avenues in which such an objective would be possible in being successful.

Utilizing the intelligence agencies of various nations and the collaboration of parties within the Belarusian government, a covert operation with the aim of dismantling the regime would be poised to complete that goal. It goes without saying but such an operation could not be public knowledge; nevertheless, the West would eliminate the final dictator in Europe and weaken Putin’s ties within Europe, an accomplishment that would work greatly in conjunction with the end of gaining an upper hand in the global geopolitical arena. Furthermore, the ousting of Lukashenko could trigger an uprising in Russia as the Russian citizenry witnesses that ridding themselves of their dictator is also a possibility, which would open so many doors for the U.S. to implement a policy that will cement an advantageous position in the region for decades to come. This also has a history of occurring, as seen in the now famous period known as the “Arab Spring” within the Middle East. The U.S. and its allies would be right to look at this more attentively.

Works Cited

Chance, Matthew and Zahra Ullah. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko derides reports of abuse as ‘fake and fantasy’. 1 October 2021. Website. 1 October 2021.

Taylor, Guy. Alexander Lukashenko clings to power in Belarus. 9 December 2020. Website. 1 October 2021.

Teh, Cheryl. Who is Alexander Lukashenko? A closer look at the dictator who has maintained an iron grip on Belarus for over 2 decades. 3 August 2021. Website. 1 October 2021.