What Actually Mattered This Week: Nuclear Blackout, Ending the Forever War

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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK

My thoughts on some of this week’s biggest news stories:

Blackout hits Iran nuclear site in what appears to be Israeli sabotage

Just as nuclear deal talks are making progress.

Not a coincidence.

But rejoining nuclear deal won’t end sanctions—or cyberattacks—against Iran. The US and Iran aren’t suddenly becoming allies.

Biden will withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021

20 years of war in Afghanistan

$1,000,000,000,000 spent

2,300 American soldiers killed

43,000 civilians dead

Biden’s commitment to end the war is welcome...and long overdue. Will be glad for everyone to finally bring this conflict to a close.

But I’m surprised Biden is going with 9/11 as the proposed withdrawal date. It’s hard to sell the symbolism since the US didn’t actually win the war.

Biden talks to Putin about Ukraine, suggests meeting

Biden proposes a Putin summit in a third country. US-Russia relations are at their worst since Andropov. No reason not to talk.

Prefer long-form analysis? Here are my thoughts on what happens next in the rising violence between Ukraine and Russia and what the protests in Northern Ireland could mean for the future of its peace.

TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS

% of respondents who view the US as a good example of democracy:

US 67%

South Korea 60%

Mexico 56%

Turkey 52%

Italy 49%

Japan 46.3%

Spain 46%

UK 39%

France 38%

Australia 37%

Germany 36%

Canada 32%

New Zealand 19%

-US News & World Report

THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN

More from GZERO Media (subscribe here)

GRAPHIC TRUTH 

YOUR GZERO WORLD

Vaccine nationalism, where countries prioritize their own citizens before the rest of the world, has been effective for rich nations like the United States and Israel. But leaving behind so much of the global population isn't just a humanitarian issue. It could prolong the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization's Chief Scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, who argues that what the global vaccination effort most urgently lacks are doses, not dollars. In a wide-ranging interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, she calls for a large increase in the global vaccine supply in order to prevent the rise of more dangerous and vaccine-evading super-variants. She also weighs in on a controversial new WHO report investigating the origins of COVID-19 and suggests we may be seeing alternative vaccine forms, like nasal sprays, sooner than we think.

For a longer, more in-depth version of my interview with Dr. Swaminathan, check out the GZERO World podcast. 

WORLD IN 60 SECONDS

How will the pause of Johnson & Johnson vaccine affect the overall pandemic fight in the United States?

Secretary of State Blinken recently warned that China interfering with Taiwan would be a "serious mistake". What would an interference it look like?

Why is Japan dumping contaminated Fukushima water into the ocean?

And…where in the world is Darius, the "World's Longest Rabbit"?

Find out in this week’s World in 60 Seconds! 

Do you like what you’ve seen? Subscribe and stay informed.

BECAUSE THE INTERNET

Brazil under Bolsonaro’s Pandemic Leadership

WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK

The Chinese in America: A Narrative History by Iris Chang

At a time of outrage about increased violence against Asian Americans, it is important to take a step back to appreciate the rich and storied history of Asian immigration into the US—and the extent to which today’s problems are not new. Chang’s book catalogues the aspirations of generations of Chinese immigrants who came to the US in search of better opportunity, and brought with them their rich culture and history. Chang, who passed away far too young just after publishing the book in 2004, presciently cautioned that China’s rise would lead to increased anti-Chinese sentiment in the US. The book documents the many waves of xenophobia and outright racism which Chinese immigrants experienced over decades, but also the hopefulness they carried and the contributions they made to the modern US. 

DEEP THOUGHTS

“Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler.” —Albert Einstein

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Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and foreign affairs columnist at TIME. He currently teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.