Argument

An expert's point of view on a current event.

List of Argument articles

An illustration shows a wireframe hand and a full hand with strings tangled between outstretched fingers and a presidential seal snared in the middle.
An illustration shows a wireframe hand and a full hand with strings tangled between outstretched fingers and a presidential seal snared in the middle.

The Artificial General Intelligence Presidency Is Coming

Generative AI was developed largely without government assistance, but its next phase will require government involvement.

A U.S. flag is displayed in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 16.
A U.S. flag is displayed in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 16.

The Real Lesson of Springfield, Ohio

A revitalized Midwestern city shows that immigrants can be a solution to economic decline and malaise.

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves to guests while security and other officials mill about around him. Xi wears a black suit and smiles as he looks toward the crowd.
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves to guests while security and other officials mill about around him. Xi wears a black suit and smiles as he looks toward the crowd.

Xi Jinping Is Prioritizing Political Survival Over Economic Prosperity

China is missing out on growth because the Communist Party comes first.

Then-Mexican presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador speaks in front of a monument to the late Mexican President Benito Juárez in Mexico City on March 16, 2018.
Then-Mexican presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador speaks in front of a monument to the late Mexican President Benito Juárez in Mexico City on March 16, 2018.

AMLO Was No Isolationist

The outgoing Mexican president recast historical leader Benito Juárez’s foreign policy for the modern world.

Switchboard operators manually connect calls at a telephone exchange in Paris on March 14, 1935.
Switchboard operators manually connect calls at a telephone exchange in Paris on March 14, 1935.

Why Europe Is Losing the Tech Race

And what the European Union could do to catch up.

African leaders stand to applaud Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. A line of country flags stand behind their rows of seats.
African leaders stand to applaud Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. A line of country flags stand behind their rows of seats.

The U.S. Has a Better Offer for Africa Than Debt

Washington can’t outcompete Beijing-backed banks.

U.S. President Donald Trump is seen in profile as he stands at a podium and speaks into the microphone at NATO summit. His national security advisor stands slightly behind him, watching the crowd. Both men wear dark suits and ties.
U.S. President Donald Trump is seen in profile as he stands at a podium and speaks into the microphone at NATO summit. His national security advisor stands slightly behind him, watching the crowd. Both men wear dark suits and ties.

Europe Is Far From Trump-Proofed

A divided continent is still fatally dependent on Washington.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech during the Labour Party conference at ACC Liverpool on September 24, 2024 in Liverpool, England.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech during the Labour Party conference at ACC Liverpool on September 24, 2024 in Liverpool, England.

Starmerism Is Crashing Against Reality

Britain’s prime minister has a lifelong theory of reform that may not fit current needs.

Schröder and Putin in Moscow
Schröder and Putin in Moscow

Don’t Let Germany Go Back to Its Old Russia Tricks

How Washington can make sure that Berlin’s Gazprom era is over.

A man shields his face while grimacing and holding up a yellow flag.
A man shields his face while grimacing and holding up a yellow flag.

The Hezbollah Pager Explosions Are More Dangerous Than You Think

Beyond human rights concerns, the attacks raise questions about U.S. and Israeli policy in the Middle East.

A photo illustration shows a China-flagged shipping container inside a glass bottle.
A photo illustration shows a China-flagged shipping container inside a glass bottle.

Washington’s Playbook for China Must Change

Asia is the global epicenter of a competition for global leadership.

A Cameroonian policeman and a gendarme aim their weapons while securing the perimeter of a polling station in southwestern Cameroon on Oct 7, 2018.
A Cameroonian policeman and a gendarme aim their weapons while securing the perimeter of a polling station in southwestern Cameroon on Oct 7, 2018.

Rule-of-Law Promotion Should Amount to More Than a Rounding Error

If the United States wants to deter political violence abroad, an ounce of prevention will be worth a pound of cure.

Anti-government protesters display Bangladesh's national flag as they storm the prime minister's palace in Dhaka.
Anti-government protesters display Bangladesh's national flag as they storm the prime minister's palace in Dhaka.

Bangladesh Picks Up the Pieces After the Revolution

The West needs to step up to help a damaged country.

The Bank of China Tower, Three Garden Road and the Cheung Kong Centre in the business district of Hong Kong on May 14.
The Bank of China Tower, Three Garden Road and the Cheung Kong Centre in the business district of Hong Kong on May 14.

Solving the Global Fiscal Policy Trilemma

Governments everywhere are facing a seemingly impossible choice.

A soldier uses an umbrella to shield himself from the rain as he walks past the front wheels of a B-52H strategic bomber parked at a South Korean Air Force base at Cheongju International Airport on Oct. 19, 2023.
A soldier uses an umbrella to shield himself from the rain as he walks past the front wheels of a B-52H strategic bomber parked at a South Korean Air Force base at Cheongju International Airport on Oct. 19, 2023.

South Korea Goes Nuclear. Then What?

Five questions to ask before welcoming Seoul to the nuclear weapons club.

Loading graphics