But oil is not the only thing that should be a concern. In fact, there is one thing that I would argue is far more valuable and necessary then oil. Water.

Currently, fear seems to be the most visible element in the American national discourse. American fears of a terrorist attack are at a level not seen since directly after the attacks of September 11, 2001. 

The world's Nordic neighbors, the Swedes, have long cultivated the reputation as the "nice guys" in the world of politics. That reputation is being tested lately as Sweden finds its wide open door policies for war refugees being rescinded. 

The recently concluded COP21 Paris Agreement has been widely lauded as a historic step in combatting global climate change. Of course the next step (or challenge, depending on how you look at it) for this agreement is its implementation.

14 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the danger of terrorism has not waned. Even after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the threat of transnational terrorism remains a constant, as other groups rise to the forefront of international security debates.

Our scientists are crying of the last generation to reverse the effects, while our politicians are split in a duality of committing to tackle the issue head on, while others failing to address environmental changes from existing at all.

The triangular relationship between the United States, Russia, and China will shape the course of international relations in the year to come. 

As South Sudan has had to deal with rising temperatures and the resulting effects of it, there has been an increase in the weapons proliferation. It can be argued that this has been an issue before because of the conflict between South Sudan and Sudan the increase cannot be ignored. More people are turning to illegal activity as a way to survive.

I would argue that America’s best option for a policy that counteracts Chinese ambitions while not being too provocative is one of dramatically increased cooperation with India.

Relief aid and prayers have been sent to the City of Lights, uplifting a broken city. Despite the terror, the people of Paris wake up every morning to face the challenges of coping with such a tragedy. The only way they can move forward is by hoping that safety and peace will soon return to their city.

There are a lot of works to be done to make India a manufacturing hub like China, Japan or South Korea. But there is a wide gap between Prime Minister Modi’s promises and plans and their implementations has blurred the ‘Make in India’ concept into highly political project.

Earlier this year, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched a campaign called ‘Save Girl Child, Educate Girl Child’ to combat the practice of sex-selective abortions.

The practice of FGM has slowly been banned in different countries as the years have gone by. However, weak enforcement of these laws has led it to still being practiced.

The recent Paris attacks have derailed the global quarrel about the Syrian refugee crisis.  The discussion no longer focuses on who should pay the economic or logistical prices of admitting the refugees, but on the possibility of jihadists sneaking into foreign countries

By focusing on the relationship between the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) infrastructure development projects and regional integration in Africa, we see that many of these projects, such as the Enugu-Bamenda Road Project, have integrated the region beyond economical means.

What happened to the supposedly extreme precision of drone strikes? Where exactly is the military accuracy in almost 20,000 civilian deaths in Afghanistan since 2009? How do we justify loss of civilian lives as collateral damage? Why are we still in Afghanistan?

If economists almost unanimously support free trade, why do Republican and Democratic politicians contest the topic so vehemently? By blaming growing American inequality on free trade agreements, such as the TPP, politicians effectively blame national failures to re-train workers for the twenty-first century onto exogenous actors. In the process, while the political gains among the public may be vast, the diplomatic and economic losses are far more problematic.

With such a strong drive toward service, the United States government and citizens should be open and willing to welcome Syrian refugees.

COOL requires that all meat products sold in America be labeled where the livestock was born, raised, and slaughtered.  As a result of an alleged decrease in beef and pork imports by the U.S., Canada and Mexico challenged COOL laws in the WTO, claiming COOL is a barrier to trade which violates the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).