Death, taxes, and politicians being a massive disappointment—the constants in life. I would add one more item to that list: Ron Paul being consistent. As Europe and Latin America faced revolutionary moments throughout the 2000s, it was Dr. Paul who remained a constant voice against U.S. intervention and engagement in foreign countries. With Slovakia seen as one of the first cases to feature tactics later associated with the “color revolutions,” as a member of Congress, Paul provided commentary on the methods used. He summarized, “In Slovakia, NED [National Endowment for Democracy] funded...

On September 17, Julian Assange’s return to Twitter/X did not go unnoticed. With more than fifty-one million impressions, it becomes clear his and WikiLeaks’ impact is undeniable. Still, his journalism and WikiLeaks have not come without scrutiny. Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin stated Assange should be “hunted down.” Current U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said regarding his work, “whoever in our government leaked that information is guilty of treason, and I think anything less than execution is too kind a penalty.” Meanwhile, former secretary of state and...

Located in Northeast Africa, Sudan receives relatively little attention in discussions of global geopolitics. This is despite the country being embroiled in a devastating civil war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since 2023. With potentially over 150,000 deaths, and both sides accused of committing war crimes, the situation is bleak. The RSF notably has been accused of significant atrocities in Darfur, including mass killings and ethnic targeting during its capture of El Fasher. Amid the ongoing conflict, allegations of chemical-weapons use by Sudan’s military have...

When former CIA Director James Woolsey served as chairman of the board for the non-governmental organization (NGO) Freedom House for roughly two and a half years, it was during a particularly turbulent period in the post-Soviet space. Freedom House’s "Message from the Chairman" in 2003 outlines Woolsey’s direct quotes about what the organization's goals were. He described how they were working to “bring about democratic transitions within countries,” had “over a dozen field offices and programs in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, East-Central Europe, and Central Asia,” and were...

In 1990, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided “full funding” for one Anwar Nasser Abdulla al-Awlaki for studies in civil engineering at Colorado State University. There was only one problem: the USAID document listed his birthplace as Sana'a, Yemen. Awlaki was actually born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, an inaccuracy which federal security agent Ray Fournier and The New York Times describe as being done in an attempt to qualify for scholarship money. Awlaki returned to the United States on October 23, 2000, just two weeks after the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen....

In 2003, when the U.S. Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba was formed its objective was presented bluntly: to “hasten the regime’s downfall.” Their second report revealed in 2006 similarly concluded that the “implementation of the CAFC II recommendations will hasten the day Cubans will be free to elect their leaders.” This also included calls in “planning support for a Cuban Transition Government.” By 2008, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had committed more than $11 million to the Cuban Civil Society Support Program in an effort to implement the recommendations...

With Cuba seemingly becoming the next focus for the Trump administration, it is worth looking into previous efforts by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the country. Today, we turn toward the agency’s connection with Cuban hip-hop. In 2008, USAID launched the Cuban Civil Society Support Program, an initiative focused on supporting independent organizations and building communication networks on the island. Implemented by Creative Associates International, the four-year program ran until 2012. While presented as a democracy promotion initiative, internal...