Rising authoritarianism, armed conflicts, and technological upheaval are eroding the foundations of international law. One state, with no army, no economic might, and physically smaller than many college campuses, continues to exert global influence through the quiet power of moral authority and legal advocacy. The Vatican, long underestimated as a relic of medieval diplomacy, arguably [...]

“Credo quia absurdum”—”I believe because it is absurd.”—Tertullian, early Christian theologian It’s conspicuous. Despite impressive technological advances, the United States remains a proud bastion of anti-reason. Though approval numbers trend downward, President Donald J. Trump remains widely-admired for “courage,” “caring” and “common sense.” In some quarters, Trump is seriously considered a divine rescuer, a deliverer [...]

Introduction In the spring of 2020, Kingfish Maine (KM) and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) began collaborating on a proposed $110 million onshore fish farm in Jonesport, a small fishing town in Maine. The path to MDEP approval has been convoluted and opaque, ultimately resulting in the green light for an international corporate [...]

On March 25, Trinidad and Tobago’s Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling that the country’s colonial-era “Buggery and Serious Indecency laws” are unconstitutional. The decision brought worldwide scrutiny and criticisms about backsliding human rights and what many rights groups deem the “re-criminalization of homosexuality.” The Court of Appeal’s reasoning in the decision is [...]

“Fools, visionaries, sufferers from delusions, neurotics and lunatics have played great roles at all times in the history of mankind…Usually, they have wreaked havoc.” – Sigmund Freud, Thomas Woodrow Wilson: A Psychological Study US President Donald Trump’s policies are not just matters of domestic law, but also international law in that the Trump administration’s harmful [...]

  “In the end, we must depend upon creatures of our own making.” Goethe, Faust It’s clear and straightforward: the United States must avoid nuclear war or all other national obligations will become moot. It follows that all available fiscal and intellectual resources should be vested in this obligation. Prima facie, during the self-inflicted chaos [...]

If Prime Minister Mark Carney wins the Canadian federal election, new Attorney General and Minister of Justice Gary Anandasangaree — appointed by Carney on March 14 — will likely remain in the role as he now faces a moment that directly parallels his earlier career as an international human rights lawyer advocating for Tamil victims [...]

There’s much talk these days about democracy being under threat at home and around the world. Most of this discussion tends to be focused on efforts by autocrats and their supporters to erode the rule of law and the right to vote; their adoption of policies that discriminate against minorities and women; and their use [...]

On Sunday, I attended a training by the Diaspora Alliance about the worrying rise of instrumentalized antisemitism. The Diaspora Alliance describes instrumentalized antisemitism as the use by political actors of Jewish peoples’ legitimate fears in an antisemitic environment. The idea is, these actors will manipulate those fears to compel organized action ultimately aimed at shoring [...]

The news about the administration of Donald Trump using the messaging app Signal to plan military operations has galvanized many in the public. On March 24, reports emerged that beginning on March 11, The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg had been added to a Signal group titled “Houthi PC small group.” The chat included various cabinet [...]