Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Joe Biden: The first Cold War president since Ronald Reagan

Joe Biden: The first Cold War president since Ronald Reagan
Getty Images

Richard Davies is a journalist and podcaster. He runs the podcast consultancy,DaviesContent.

By any measure, this has been a momentous week for global politics. President Biden’s surprise trip to Kyiv, his “freedom” speech in Warsaw, the visit of China’s top diplomat to Moscow, and Vladimir Putin’s decision to suspend Russian participation in the last remaining nuclear arms treaty with the U.S. are all signs of deepening big-power tensions.


This coincides with the first anniversary of the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two. In the early hours of February 24 last year, Putin’s tanks rolled across Ukraine’s borders.

To the surprise of many, the past year saw a dramatic strengthening of the NATO military alliance, as Europe and The United States rallied support for Ukraine. At the same time, the world’s two largest autocratic powers— China and Russia— moved ever closer together in a partnership that stirs reminders of the Cold War. Both regimes seek to dominate as much of the world as they can.

In his state-of-the-union style address, Putin blamed the U.S and its allies for a war that he launched himself. “The West,” he claimed, “is using Ukraine as a battering ram against Russia." Despite extremely heavy troop losses, Putin’s ultimate goal of dominating Ukraine and forcing it to become part of his Russian empire remains unchanged.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

In Warsaw this week, Biden’s stark rhetoric harkened back to an earlier time, at least four decades ago, when American presidents often spoke of the epic struggle between dictatorships and democracy. “Appetites of the autocrat cannot be appeased. They must be opposed,” he declared. “The work in front of us is not just what we’re against but what we’re for….There is no higher aspiration than freedom.”

Biden promised $550 million in addition to $30 billion in military and humanitarian aid already sent to Ukraine. The Administration has reasserted itself as the dominant player in the security of Europe. Now NATO has a clearer mission statement.

While much has been written about the war, and the political state-of-play, the President’s trip has broader implications for the fundamental values that are a vital part of the growing struggle against autocratic powers.

“You can’t have democracy and freedom if you are not also willing to defend your national sovereignty against an armed invasion,” says Danish human-rights advocate, Jacob Mchangama. “These principles and fundamental values do require something that maybe has been forgotten in Europe: a willingness to defend against invasion.”

I spoke with Mchangama for the latest episode of our podcast, “How Do We Fix It?” His recent history of free speech makes him well-qualified to speak of the deeper issues at stake.

One of the biggest surprises of the past year has been the strength of European and American support for President Zelenskyy and Ukraine. “I’m very heartened by it,” says Mchangama. “It’s a good antidote to a decay of the West and complacency of democracies narrative that has been driving some of the authoritarian backlash.”

“Even a year in, there still seems to be solid support in many countries for the Ukrainian cause and for continuing to supply them with the means to defend themselves and hopefully decisively turn the tide.”

Many supporters of Ukraine say they are fighting for us, and the values of freedom of expression and rule of law. What remains unclear is whether the return to cold war rhetoric by President Biden and other leaders will have a positive impact on American democracy and reduce the damage inflicted by the domestic partisan divide.

Read More

Couple lying in tall grass

As many as 50 million to 60 million Americans may have decided that they don’t want to have kids.

Peathegee Inc/Getty Images

Voters without kids are in the political spotlight – but they’re not all the same

Jennifer Neal is a professor of psychology at Michigan State University. Zachary Neal is an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University.

In the 2024 election cycle, voters without children are under the microscope.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance has said that “childless cat ladies” and older adults without kids are “sociopaths” who “don’t have a direct stake in this country.”

So it was notable that when pop star Taylor Swift endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, she didn’t simply express her support and leave it at that. She also called herself a “childless cat lady.”

Keep ReadingShow less
People protesting for voting rights in front of the Capitol

The Supreme Court eliminated provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013.

Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

The voter fraud conversation is the wrong one to be having right now

Rajasekar is an assistant professor of sociology at University of Illinois Springfield and a public voices fellow with The OpEd Project.

For the past decade, America has been mired in a repetitive, pointless conversation about “voter fraud,” helped in no small part by Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine voters’ faith in the electoral process.

During the presidential debate with Kamala Harris in early September, Trump insisted that he was the true winner of the 2020 election, and he has repeatedly hinted that he will not accept the election results this November if they are not in his favor. Since then, Trump and other GOP politicians have continued to put forward baseless arguments about voter fraud, including claims that Democrats are registering non-citizens and undocumented migrants to purposefully skew election results.

Keep ReadingShow less
Money surrounding the Capitol

Federal elections in 2024 will cost at least $16 billion, according to OpenSecrets.

Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

Total 2024 election spending projected to exceed previous record

Bryner is director of research and strategy for OpenSecrets. Glavin is deputy research director for OpenSecrets.

With weeks left until Election Day, OpenSecrets predicts that 2024’s federal election cycle is on track to be the costliest ever, with a total cost of at least $15.9 billion in spending. This will surpass the 2020 cycle’s record-smashing total of $15.1 billion.

Outside groups, largely super PACs, have spent roughly $2.6 billion on 2024 federal elections, outpacing spending in any previous cycle. If the current spending trends hold, OpenSecrets projects that total outside spending for the entire election cycle will exceed $5 billion.

Keep ReadingShow less
"Diversity," "Equity" and "Inclusion" on wood blocks
Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images

DEI is worth saving if programs focus on expanding advantages

Myatt is the co-founder ofThe Equity Practice and a public voices fellow alumna through The OpEd Project.

DEI backlash is prolific. Many companies inspired to begin diversity, equity and inclusion work after the racial unrest of 2020 are pausing those same efforts in response to pushback from customers and employees.

The reasons for the pushback vary, but for many, DEI represents a threat to status and access to resources. These fears are not entirely unfounded. Some DEI strategies aim to “level the playing field” by eliminating what some see as unfair advantages.

Keep ReadingShow less