Welcome to our roundup of news and current events related to ethics and international affairs! Here’s some of what we’ve been reading this past month:
NPR: Dutch king apologizes for the monarchy’s role in global slave trade.
On July 1, 2023, at the 160th commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands and its colonial territories, King Willem-Alexander apologized for the role of the Dutch monarchy in the slave trade. The Dutch trafficked approximately 600,000 enslaved people to Dutch colonies, such as Suriname and Curacao; today, many of their descendants are Dutch citizens and live in the Netherlands. King Willem-Alexander’s apology follows that of the Netherlands’ prime minister, Mark Rutte, in 2022 and an expert report advising the government of the Netherlands to “recognize the trade in human cargo had constituted ‘crimes against humanity’ and that modern institutional racism was directly linked to this history of enslavement.”
Read more about the legacy of imperialism and colonialism in Ethics & International Affairs:
The State’s Imperial Shadows (2021: 35-4)
Hypocritical Inhospitality: The Global Refugee Crisis in the Light of History (2020: 34-1)
Decolonizing Global Ethics: Thinking with the Pluriverse (2019: 33-2)
Gallium crystals. Photo credit: Sergio Fabris via Wikimedia Commons
The Wall Street Journal: China restricts exports of two minerals used in high-performance chips.
China recently announced new export restrictions on gallium and germanium, two critical minerals used to produce semiconductors, as well as missile defense systems, fiber-optics, and solar cells. These export restrictions are the latest step in the tit-for-tat rivalry between the United States and China over the semiconductor and other high-technology industries, stemming from economic competitiveness and national security concerns. Previously, the United States banned exports of certain equipment used to manufacture advanced semiconductors to China, and U.S. allies, such as the Netherlands, have enacted similar policies. In addition to the recently announced export restrictions, China banned the use of chips produced by Micron, the biggest American semiconductor company, from critical information infrastructure.
Read more about natural resource sovereignty, China’s ambitions, and trade in Ethics & International Affairs:
Resources for the People—but Who Are the People? Mistaken Nationalism in Resource Sovereignty (2021: 35-1)
China and the Future International Order(s) (2018: 32-1)
Unilateral Economic Sanctions, International Law, and Human Rights (2019: 33-3)
Pro-choice activists protest in front of the U.S. Capitol. Photo credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash
AP: One year later, the Supreme Court’s abortion decision is both scorned and praised.
June 24, 2023 marked the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court ruling. The Dobbs decision overturned 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which established a right to abortion nationwide. In the year since the decision, state governments have taken on the issue of abortion, with many Democrat-controlled states adopting measures to protect the right to abortion and Republican-controlled states imposing bans or more restrictive policies. Abortion access is expected to remain a top-line issue going into upcoming elections later this year and next year.
Read more about women’s rights and feminist perspectives in Ethics & International Affairs:
On American Values, Unalienable Rights, and Human Rights: Some Reflections on the Pompeo Commission (2020: 34-1)
The Women-Led Uprising and Iran’s Islamic Republic (November 2022)
Continuums of Violence and Peace: A Feminist Perspective (2020: 34-1)
People gather next to a tank as the Wagner Group withdraws. Photo credit: Fargoh via Wikimedia Commons
The New York Times: Revolt raises searing question: Could Putin lose power?
Late last month, the leader of the paramilitary Wagner Group, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, staged a mutiny, ordering his forces to capture a Russian military headquarters and head towards the capital. Although Prigozhin agreed to stand down, the crisis raised questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin to maintain control and provide internal stability. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was quoted saying Prigozhin’s actions were “a direct challenge to Putin’s authority.” However, some analysts argue that the crisis may not have a significant impact on Putin’s leadership or the course of the war, given the continued resilience of the Russian economy in the face of economic sanctions and the Kremlin’s track record of suppressing public dissent.
Read more about the monopoly on violence in Ethics & International Affairs:
Rethinking the Nature of States and Political Violence (2021: 35-1)
Nation-States, Empires, Wars, Hostilities (2021: 35-3)
Legitimate Authority and the Ethics of War: A Map of the Terrain (2017: 31-2)
Does Who Matter? Legal Authority and the Use of Military Violence (2017: 31-2)