Militarising the US-Mexican border

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

Plus: the value of asylum seekers; Brexit; after Merkel   As so often with Donald Trump, the move is both for show and at the same time deadly serious. Sending up to 15,000 US troops to defend the border with Mexico against an unarmed “caravan” of Central Americans fleeing violence to seek refuge in America is primarily a way of rallying the Republican base for today’s crucial midterm elections. The images …

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Highlights of 2017, Prospects for 2018

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

The “highlights” of 2017 are mostly lowlights.  The year began with the inauguration of a racist US president who pledged to build a border wall to keep out Mexican “killers and rapists”, ban Muslims from entering America and tear up the liberal international order in favour of an America First strategy of nationalism, protectionism and xenophobia. While many of Trump’s actions have been symbolic, his clampdown on refugees and immigrants is very real.  2017 was …

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