The search for rare earths for energy transition is often regarded as a form of neo-colonialism, and today it is the area in which this phenomenon manifests itself most clearly, especially due to its geopolitical and economic effects. However, there are other neo-colonial practices that are less visible but with equally negative consequences at the local level. One of these is the export of waste to Africa and Asia by Western countries, particularly the export of plastic, clothing, and electronic waste. The export of waste to the Global South is…
Posts published in “World”
On February 6, the U.S. and India announced that they have reached a framework for an interim reciprocal trade agreement which lists tariff reductions on several products traded between the two countries. However, the announcement has raised concern among farmer groups and food security activists over potential increases in agricultural imports, including genetically modified (GM) grain. The India-U.S. joint statement says, “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and a wide range of U.S. food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum for…
US-India trade negotiations have shown how domestic tariff policy has become inseparable from foreign policy. India must recalibrate its tariff framework from a protectionist, reactive shield, to a strategic tool. The White House’s latest announcement on finalising the Indo-US deal, and lowering of tariffs from 25 to 18 percent for India has once again brought to the fore the complex geopolitics of trade negotiations. The exchange between the US and India over the past year proves that modern trade negotiations extend beyond tariff schedules. Sanction regimes and geopolitical alignment have…
Climate policy experts reflect on the agreement’s focus on “cooperation”, “dialogue” for environmental matters in lieu of binding targets. When India and the European Union finally concluded their long-pending Free Trade Agreement last week, leaders on both sides hailed it as a landmark moment for global commerce. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it the “mother of all deals”, a thought echoed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some media outlets described it as one of the “biggest trade deals ever signed”. But while the deal’s trade aspects…
In the first week of Black History Month, President Donald Trump posted a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on social media — a video clip showing the Obamas’ faces on apes. The post was later deleted, and the White House blamed a staffer for “erroneously” posting it. On Friday evening, Trump refused to apologize for the post: “I didn’t make a mistake,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. The post was one of dozens Trump shared in the middle of the night…
President Donald Trump’s comments on former Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino’s podcast this week that he would like to see Republicans “nationalize” elections has some on Capitol Hill playing a guessing game. What exactly did Trump mean when he suggested that Republicans should “take over the voting … in at least many, 15 places”? “If he was on Dan’s show, and he’s catering to Dan’s audience, I’m sure there’s not going to be many Democrats listening to the show,” Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a Republican from Florida, mused about Trump’s comments…