John Feffer

Amherst Center

Director at Foreign Policy In Focus

Writer, editor, activist. Latest book: Right Across the World Latest novel: Songlands Latest play: The Wedding Jester

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Articles

China's Viral Soft Power and America's Self-Inflicted Wounds

2 days ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Soft power, the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion, has long been a cornerstone of international influence. For decades, the United States has arguably been the global leader in this domain, its allure stemming from its democratic ideals, economic dynamism, technological innovation, and vibrant cultural exports. However, as the recent Economist article “How China Became Cool” suggests, the landscape of soft power is undergoing a profound transformation.
The Freedom Flotilla: Bravely Breaking the Siege Against Gaza

3 days ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Many people, armed only with moral and political convictions, would be too intimidated to confront an army or navy directly. But not all. Twelve nonviolent human-rights activists with the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) are currently sailing a small boat, the Madleen, to Gaza. They hope to create a humanitarian sea corridor through Israel’s illegal blockade.
North American Solidarity Needed to Navigate Trump’s Trade Wars

4 days ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Like a spoiled child, Donald Trump has kicked over the sandcastle defending what is left of the rules-based international trading order. As critics of that order, we accept the opportunity and challenge it creates to rethink international relations and mutating neoliberal dogmas. However, we are greatly concerned by the chaos and misfortune that Trump’s actions have caused for workers and farmers across North America. No one chooses to be born in the United States, Mexico, Canada or anywhere else.
From Ukraine to Greenland, Are Trump’s Geopolitical Ambitions Driven by Mining?

5 days ago | znetwork.org | John Feffer

The clean energy transition that the Biden administration touted as the focus of its industrial policy required large amounts of mineral inputs. Batteries for electric vehicles depend on lithium, solar panels contain gallium and molybdenum, and powerful magnets in wind turbines can’t be built without rare earth elements.
From Ukraine to Greenland, Are Trump’s Geopolitical Ambitions Driven by Mining?

6 days ago | truthout.org | John Feffer |Zack Kligler

The clean energy transition that the Biden administration touted as the focus of its industrial policy required large amounts of mineral inputs. Batteries for electric vehicles depend on lithium, solar panels contain gallium and molybdenum, and powerful magnets in wind turbines can’t be built without rare earth elements.
Trump Dreams of Minerals - in Ukraine and Greenland

1 week ago | fairobserver.com | John Feffer

The clean energy transition that the Biden administration touted as the focus of its industrial policy required large amounts of mineral inputs. Batteries for electric vehicles depend on lithium, solar panels contain gallium and molybdenum, and powerful magnets in wind turbines can’t be built without rare earth elements.
Will Vietnam’s Diplomacy Influence Political Reforms at Home?

1 week ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

According to conventional wisdom, diplomacy begins at the end of domestic politics, which implies that domestic politics influence diplomacy. However, constructivists in international relations believe that domestic and foreign politics are constitutive of each other. In other words, it is not just that domestic politics drives a country’s diplomacy but diplomacy that impacts domestic politics. This view resonates with how Vietnamese leaders look at the role of diplomacy.
Trump Dreams of Minerals

1 week ago | counterpunch.org | John Feffer

The clean energy transition that the Biden administration touted as the focus of its industrial policy required large amounts of mineral inputs. Batteries for electric vehicles depend on lithium, solar panels contain gallium and molybdenum, and powerful magnets in wind turbines can’t be built without rare earth elements.
Trump Dreams Of Minerals: In Ukraine And Greenland - Analysis

1 week ago | eurasiareview.com | John Feffer

The clean energy transition that the Biden administration touted as the focus of its industrial policy required large amounts of mineral inputs. Batteries for electric vehicles depend on lithium, solar panels contain gallium and molybdenum, and powerful magnets in wind turbines can’t be built without rare earth elements.
The Coming of a Values-Free Foreign Policy

1 week ago | fpif.org | John Feffer

Originally published in TomDispatch. The Trump administration seems intent on undermining America’s ability to make human rights a significant element of its foreign policy. As evidence of that, consider its plan to dramatically reduce policy directives and personnel devoted to those very issues, including the dismantling of the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Rights, and Labor.