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Argument

An expert's point of view on a current event.

List of Argument articles

Chinese President Xi Jinping sits at a wood-paneled desk, shuffling through paper documents as he presides over a meeting of the National People's Congress in Beijing. Xi is a middle-aged man wearing a black suit and red tie, and he wears a serious expression as he reads the documents.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sits at a wood-paneled desk, shuffling through paper documents as he presides over a meeting of the National People's Congress in Beijing. Xi is a middle-aged man wearing a black suit and red tie, and he wears a serious expression as he reads the documents.

Xi Jinping Has Tough Economic Choices Ahead

China is likely to pick security over prosperity.

Argument
Raja Krishnamoorthi
A man stands in the center of a busy ammunition factory packaging workfloor, surrounded by equipment and neatly stacked shells as he grabs a 155 mm howitzer shell from a set stacked vertically. The shells are high enough to come up to the man's waist. He wears a T-shirt, gloves, baseball cap, and protective goggles.
A man stands in the center of a busy ammunition factory packaging workfloor, surrounded by equipment and neatly stacked shells as he grabs a 155 mm howitzer shell from a set stacked vertically. The shells are high enough to come up to the man's waist. He wears a T-shirt, gloves, baseball cap, and protective goggles.

The U.S. Munitions Deficit Is a Political Problem

Just three U.S. states receive one-third of all defense contract awards.

Argument
Robert Almelor Delfeld
Then-U.S. President Barack Obama, standing with then-Vice President Joe Biden, holds a press conference about the Iran nuclear deal at the White House in Washington on July 14, 2015.
Then-U.S. President Barack Obama, standing with then-Vice President Joe Biden, holds a press conference about the Iran nuclear deal at the White House in Washington on July 14, 2015.

U.S. Fixation on Nuclear Deal Let Iran Loose on the Middle East

Washington’s shortsighted policies enabled Tehran and its proxies to destabilize the region.

Argument
Lina Khatib
Construction cranes are seen near the construction site of the Venture Global LNG plant in Plaquemines Parish south of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Construction cranes are seen near the construction site of the Venture Global LNG plant in Plaquemines Parish south of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Is the U.S. Preparing to Ban Future LNG Sales to China?

The Department of Energy’s “temporary pause” opens the door.

Argument
Gabriel B. Collins, Steven R. Miles
A swan makes a nest out of plastic trash near a sewage drain on the banks of the Danube River, close to downtown Belgrade, Serbia, on April 18, 2022.
A swan makes a nest out of plastic trash near a sewage drain on the banks of the Danube River, close to downtown Belgrade, Serbia, on April 18, 2022.

No, Recycling Won’t Solve Our Plastic Problem

The world must come together to address the full life cycle of this ubiquitous material.

Argument
Patrick Schröder, Jack Barrie
A broken glass box at the looted Kherson Regional Museum after the Russian withdrawal from the city on Dec. 22, 2022.
A broken glass box at the looted Kherson Regional Museum after the Russian withdrawal from the city on Dec. 22, 2022.

Russia Is Committing Cultural Genocide in Ukraine

Historical falsification, youth indoctrination, and the plunder of artifacts reveal the Kremlin’s true objectives.

Argument
Jade McGlynn
Greenpeace activists pose with placards as they stage a protest seeking to block the oil tanker "Seychelles Pioneer," reportedly carrying Russian oil, in the Port of Antwerp on April 10, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Greenpeace activists pose with placards as they stage a protest seeking to block the oil tanker "Seychelles Pioneer," reportedly carrying Russian oil, in the Port of Antwerp on April 10, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s Shadow Fleet Could Create Strange Allies

Both Greenpeace and NATO are working against off-book oil tankers.

Argument
Elisabeth Braw
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern passes Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 22, 2019, after a gunman opened fire there on March 15.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern passes Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 22, 2019, after a gunman opened fire there on March 15.

The Terrorist Threat the West Still Ignores

Domestic far-right terrorism has been increasingly internationalized—and requires a coordinated response.

Argument
Bruce Hoffman, Jacob Ware
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, a middle-aged woman wearing a bright red suit jacket, sits in front of a microphone onstage at an IMF meeting in Washington, D.C. A large screen behind her shows the name of the session in colorful lettering: "Global Policy Agenda 2024."
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, a middle-aged woman wearing a bright red suit jacket, sits in front of a microphone onstage at an IMF meeting in Washington, D.C. A large screen behind her shows the name of the session in colorful lettering: "Global Policy Agenda 2024."

African Lending Needs a Better World Bank

The Bretton Woods institutions are due a revamp from their colonial roots.

Argument
Hannah Ryder
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi talk to delegates during the Arab League's Summit for Jerusalem in Cairo, on Feb. 12, 2023.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi talk to delegates during the Arab League's Summit for Jerusalem in Cairo, on Feb. 12, 2023.

Arab Countries Have Israel’s Back—for Their Own Sake

Last weekend’s security cooperation in the Middle East doesn’t indicate a new future for the region.

Argument
Steven A. Cook
A white-haired man in a suit and tie puts his hand to his mouth and squints. He is flanked by multiple alternating flags of Israel and the United States.
A white-haired man in a suit and tie puts his hand to his mouth and squints. He is flanked by multiple alternating flags of Israel and the United States.

The Moral Hazard of Biden’s Support for Israel

The U.S. president can’t stop Israel from retaliating against Iran, but he can choose whether to help Israel manage the consequences.

Argument
James M. Acton
A shield design with stars and stripes displays the words "For European Recovery, supplied by the United States of America."
A shield design with stars and stripes displays the words "For European Recovery, supplied by the United States of America."

Washington Should Squeeze Europe Like It’s 1945

U.S. support for NATO and Ukraine needs to be part of a new trans-Atlantic bargain.

Argument
Eoin Drea
Children play near tents at a camp in southern Gedaref, Sudan.
Children play near tents at a camp in southern Gedaref, Sudan.

Sudan Is Not a Lost Cause

A year into the conflict, fatalistic rhetoric continues to limit the world’s attention—and actions—toward Sudan.

Argument
Suha Musa
Iranian protesters stand in a crowd around a man who is feeding two large U.S. flags into a fire that already contains an Israeli flag. Protesters in teh background hod flags and chant beneath a night sky.
Iranian protesters stand in a crowd around a man who is feeding two large U.S. flags into a fire that already contains an Israeli flag. Protesters in teh background hod flags and chant beneath a night sky.

America Fueled the Fire in the Middle East

Israel is in growing danger—but the responsibility lies more in Washington than in Tehran.

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
A security guard walks past a large blue banner that says SPRING MEETINGS 2024 | WASHINGTON DC INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND WORLD BANK GROUP.
A security guard walks past a large blue banner that says SPRING MEETINGS 2024 | WASHINGTON DC INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND WORLD BANK GROUP.

It’s Time for the World Bank to Break With Tradition

The bank must adopt a new model to alleviate extreme poverty.

Argument
David Miliband
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