In retrospect, the Cuban embargo was presumably logical. World order was essentially polarized into two distinct categories: Capitalism vs. Communism. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the USSR, this approach seems worthless in terms of achieving peaceful, stable relations with Cuba in contemporary international relations.

In May 1997, after a surprising election victory, a young, charismatic man named Tony Blair settled into his new office at 10 Downing Street in London as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister. This signaled the beginning of the Labour Party’s hold on the Premiership. However, after nearly thirteen years in power, Labour’s grasp on Downing Street seems to be slipping as the general election approaches.
Labour’s waning popularity has been long coming. From the time Blair took office, Labour has seen its seats in the House of Commons decline from 419 in 1997 to 413 in 2001 to 356 in 2005 (BBC).

Many Iraqis face certain danger from armed militias and terrorist groups if they work for the American military or contractors. These groups threaten, hunt down, torture and kill Iraqis whom they know or suspect have worked for Americans. Realizing this heinous trend, the US made it easier for Iraqis to come to America.

Promoting and defending human rights has long challenged governments and policymakers. Some hardly bother and others give it their all. All governments balance their interests with their values. The United States has wavered back and forth between vocal and aggressive “democracy promotion” and realpolitik, often within the same administration. Most recent administrations have agreed on the importance of promoting human rights in American foreign policy. Methods have differed and emphases shift constantly.

Ten year old Madi, whose family cannot afford to send him to school, spends his days hacking away at cocoa pods with a machete. Such conditions are common in the Ivory Coast’s farms where 43% of the world’s chocolate is produced. Although United States chocolate companies passed a protocol to get rid of “the worst forms of child labor,” conditions have not improved. This article looks to document the negligence and complicit support of child slavery by chocolate manufacturers and the Ivory Coast government, as well as to illustrate several steps which were taken to eradicate the problem.

In recent years, North Korea’s foreign policy has appeared to be volatile and erratic. Most international media coverage of East Asia in the past few months has featured election results and the region’s recovery from the global recession. North Korea, with its closed communist economy and dictator Chairman Kim Jong Il, has not been heavily affected by either of these things, and has continued to conduct its foreign relations with an aggressive and seemingly unpredictable policy.