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Russian Energy and the Economy - Time to Move on?

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 Is now the time that Russia needs to diversify its economy?  Should Russia start to diversify its economy beyond natural resources? Currently, while the increased energy funds continue to fuel their adventurism for the time being, what happens when the dust settles? European nations are shifting towards no longer being reliant on Russian supplies and are diversifying their own energy needs, which includes importing from other resource rich nations as well as green energy supplication. The longer the war continues, Europe's resolve to move beyond Russian supplies will harden and endure. As European nations maneuver to wean their energy supply off of Russia, this transition could still be years in the making. Recent legislation will limit any maritime importing of Russian energy; landlocked nations, such as Hungary, will still be allowed to import supplies through pipelines. However, the reliance and assumed energy exportation to the West can no longer be a given; they will eit...
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The Fezzan region of Libya, Migration, & France

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Libya’s southwest region is called the Fezzan and borders Algeria, Chad, and Niger. In 2016, 160,000 migrants passed into the Fezzan region and onto boats bound for Europe and the first half of 2017, 80,000 had traversed this terrain. Borders between the first two aforementioned nations remain severed, yet trafficking flows through a small sliver of land along the border of Niger. Along the Libya’s southwest border with Niger, most drug trafficking occurs in the western corridor through Salvador Pass yet human trafficking crosses into Toummo, Libya, just east of the pass. (Feel free to consult the provided maps at the bottom of the page to help assist with the geography) The Fezzan region is fraught with challenges Economy The feeble economy within the Fezzan region feeds into the robust human trafficking trade. While economic opportunities remain sparse, existing options for locals remain even more diminutive. Agricultural projects and subsidies are embroiled in bur...
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Protests in Gaza, an Alternative Approach

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The recent peace march within the territory of Gaza along the Israeli border fence has not ended peacefully. Gazans are tired of their stifling isolation and seek a better future. The first protest, organized by Hamas, was purportedly arranged to be peaceful. The original plan: prop up tents and protest peacefully. Yet there were outliers who sought a different approach. Regardless of Hamas' intent, explicitly or implicitly, young men took matters into their own hands.  Some of the contentious actions have included: tires being set ablaze and even rolled towards the border fence with Israel - (this had a binary and complimentary function: to obscure Gazans' movement, but also to shroud Gazans from Israeli sniper fire) bombs were attached to kites to either inflict casualties or set crops on fire on the Israeli side; some were destined to bolt cutters to penetrate through the fence. Israel has a bona fide security concern regarding infiltrators inflicting damage...
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