Argument

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

List of Argument articles

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter questions TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter questions TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Needs to Get Out of the Way on China

Washington should start letting other countries take the lead.

Six Mongolian yurt tents stand in a field in front of a ridge of conifer trees. Overhead is a blue sky at dusk, dotted with stars and clouds.
Six Mongolian yurt tents stand in a field in front of a ridge of conifer trees. Overhead is a blue sky at dusk, dotted with stars and clouds.

Mongolia’s Paper Fleet Is Helping Russia Dodge Sanctions

A landlocked country is offering flags of convenience at sea.

A Sudanese man and child wheel suitcases as they walk across a paved area toward a low beige building. Other people pass by in the background, including more children and a man in a wheelchair.
A Sudanese man and child wheel suitcases as they walk across a paved area toward a low beige building. Other people pass by in the background, including more children and a man in a wheelchair.

In Sudan, Egypt Faces a Catch-22

But there’s one option for resolving the conflict that just might work.

South Korean actor Song Kang-ho poses during a photo call for the film "Cobweb" at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
South Korean actor Song Kang-ho poses during a photo call for the film "Cobweb" at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.

K-Culture Is Here to Stay

South Korea’s unique conditions make it an entertainment giant.

Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pose for group photos during the 15th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Summit, occurring on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 11.
Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pose for group photos during the 15th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Summit, occurring on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 11.

The Indo-Pacific Has Already Chosen Door No. 3

So-called fence-sitters are rejecting zero-sum geopolitical binaries in favor of multi-alignment.

Two men, both of them migrants carrying backpacks, huddle together in the dark with their heads bowed as they pass a handful of U.S. cash to an outstretched hand.
Two men, both of them migrants carrying backpacks, huddle together in the dark with their heads bowed as they pass a handful of U.S. cash to an outstretched hand.

U.S. Border Chaos Leaves Migrants Fatally Vulnerable

The expiration of Title 42 has spiked a rise in theft and murder along the Darién Gap.

A visitor looks at a lighted map of Chinese pipelines at the China International Energy Saving, Emissions Reduction, and New Energy Science & Technology Expo in Beijing.
A visitor looks at a lighted map of Chinese pipelines at the China International Energy Saving, Emissions Reduction, and New Energy Science & Technology Expo in Beijing.

Stop Worrying About Chinese Hegemony in Asia

U.S. fears are not only irrational—they’re a potential self-fulfilling prophecy.

A Chinese guard stands on a platform at dusk, wearing his uniform and a medical face mask. The guard is in front of a short building with a wall labeled "European Commission" beside the EU flag.
A Chinese guard stands on a platform at dusk, wearing his uniform and a medical face mask. The guard is in front of a short building with a wall labeled "European Commission" beside the EU flag.

China Can’t Have It Both Ways in Europe

Beijing is blowing up its relationships by backing Russia.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu stands at the center of a group of guests and security personnel with his fist raised in the air. He is wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a white robe.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu stands at the center of a group of guests and security personnel with his fist raised in the air. He is wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a white robe.

Nigeria’s Last General Departs the Political Stage

Democracy is holding despite social and regional divisions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Putin Wants You to Think He’s an Anti-Woke Crusader

By pitching himself as a hero to the U.S. right, he’s taking a page from the 1960s North Vietnamese playbook to undermine support for Ukraine.

A journalist is silhouetted in front of a neon-lighted poster that reads "AI from Africa to the world" at the first AI research center established in Africa by Google in Accra, Ghana.
A journalist is silhouetted in front of a neon-lighted poster that reads "AI from Africa to the world" at the first AI research center established in Africa by Google in Accra, Ghana.

Artificial Intelligence Will Entrench Global Inequality

The debate about regulating AI urgently needs input from the global south.

Visitors stand on a salt mound at an Albemarle Corporation lithium mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile, on Aug. 24, 2022.
Visitors stand on a salt mound at an Albemarle Corporation lithium mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile, on Aug. 24, 2022.

How Chile’s Politics Are Shaping the Global Energy Transition

Chile’s rightward lurch is an opportunity to expand the supply of lithium, a critical battery resource.

People walk past the art installation "The World Turned Upside Down" by Mark Wallinger on September 07, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.
People walk past the art installation "The World Turned Upside Down" by Mark Wallinger on September 07, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.

Europe’s Losers Have Become Its Winners Again

The balance of power in Europe is changing—just as it always has.

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer attends the launch of Roundhouse Works in London.
Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer attends the launch of Roundhouse Works in London.

Does Britain’s Labour Have a Plan for Power?

Keir Starmer has dropped Corbynism, but his foreign policy is still unclear.

A U.S. Navy officer patrols the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship docked in Gdynia, Poland, on Sept. 17, 2022.
A U.S. Navy officer patrols the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship docked in Gdynia, Poland, on Sept. 17, 2022.

4 Ways U.S. Support for Ukraine Helps Defend Taiwan

From deterrence to military readiness, Ukraine aid is a major boost to Pacific security.

An aerial view shows a several green and brown fields, including one covered with rows of solar panels. Beyond the solar plant are trees, a river, and a small cluster of buildings.
An aerial view shows a several green and brown fields, including one covered with rows of solar panels. Beyond the solar plant are trees, a river, and a small cluster of buildings.

Beijing and Washington Are Battling Over Africa’s Green Future

The energy transition depends on building partnerships with African states.

Pro-Turkey demonstrators wave Turkish flags in front of the Permanent Representation of Turkey to the European Union.
Pro-Turkey demonstrators wave Turkish flags in front of the Permanent Representation of Turkey to the European Union.

Turkey Is the EU’s Only Hope

Granting Turkey membership in the EU would offer Europe the chance to redefine both itself and its raison d’être.

A man sells stickers picturing Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada at market in Kabul.
A man sells stickers picturing Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada at market in Kabul.

It’s Time To Recognize the Taliban

The absence of a U.S. diplomatic presence leaves Washington powerless and strengthens the extremists in Kabul.

A shirtless man wearing sunglasses launches a balloon into the sky above a camper in Baja California, Mexico, in 2022. The camper is decorated with spray-painted leaves with a metal ladder propped up next to it.
A shirtless man wearing sunglasses launches a balloon into the sky above a camper in Baja California, Mexico, in 2022. The camper is decorated with spray-painted leaves with a metal ladder propped up next to it.

Solar Geoengineering Is Coming. It’s Time to Regulate It.

There is no comprehensive international governance for solar radiation modification. There needs to be.

Britain's King Charles III, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Brandenburg state premier Dietmar Woidke, all wearing blue suits, meet British and German soldiers on a dock in Finowfurt, Germany.
Britain's King Charles III, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Brandenburg state premier Dietmar Woidke, all wearing blue suits, meet British and German soldiers on a dock in Finowfurt, Germany.

A German-U.K. Defense Deal Can Strengthen NATO

At a moment of profound change, Berlin and London must work together.

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Are America and Europe Aligned on China?

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The war in Ukraine has propelled the United States and Europe closer on a variety of foreign-policy issues. But do Washington and Brussels agree on how to deal with Beijing’s growing clout...Show more

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Inside the U.S.-China Tech War

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Over the last few years, the United States has moved to limit China’s technological rise. U.S.-led sanctions have imposed unprecedented limits on Beijing’s access to advanced computing c...Show more

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on September 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden is hosting a Quad Leaders Summit later today with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (Photo by Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on September 24, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden is hosting a Quad Leaders Summit later today with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (Photo by Sarahbeth Maney-Pool/Getty Images)

Is America Making a Bad Bet on India?

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For decades, the U.S. foreign-policy establishment has made the assumption that India could serve as a partner as the United States jostles with China for power in the Indo-Pacific region. B...Show more