Harris's Nuclear Policy, Europe’s Borders, Far Right in Austria, and More

Hello, everyone.

It’s no longer a surprise that the far right is on the march across much of Europe, with recent success in European elections, German elections, and beyond. In few places is the trend as pronounced as in Austria, where, as Marc Montell Junyent reports, the ultra-right Freedom Party of Austria is set to win the upcoming vote.

Meanwhile, in Odesa, Ukrainians have been savoring the tail end of summer by passing their time at the beach. After years of closures for security reasons — namely, Russia’s ongoing war on the country — the coast was recently packed with locals and Ukrainians from around the country, Iryna Matviyishyn noted in a new dispatch.

Speaking of coasts, refugees and migrants continue to take flimsy boats to Greece, one of the countries still receiving new arrivals of people fleeing wars and economic devastation. Yet, as Katy Fallon reports for Inkstick, Greek authorities have increasingly targeted asylum seekers with legal backlash, chiefly accusations of smuggling.

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“The Post-Nazi FPÖ Is On Course to Win the Elections in Austria” by Marc Montell Junyent (Sept. 9)

Austria’s big election night winner could be the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which, according to polls, would gather some 27% of the votes. The FPÖ won an Austria-wide election for the first time last June in the European elections.

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“Argentina’s Far-Right President Oversees Historical Coverup” by Ramona Wadi (Sept. 9)

Between 1976 and 1983, a military dictatorship ruled Argentina, earning a reputation for its use of torture, extrajudicial executions, and forced disappearances. Now, far-right President Javier Milei is overseeing an effort to obstruct justice and cover up the history of crimes under that dictatorship.

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“Wartime Vacations: Ukrainians Savor the Last Days of Summer” by Iryna Matviyishyn (Sept. 10)

The scorching midday heat and the Black Sea breeze seem to overshadow the lingering sense of danger in Odesa. The usually vibrant seaport city, frequently a target of Russia’s war, is nearly empty, but local beaches are reminiscent of times when the sea showed no signs of a looming threat.

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“Fearing Separatists, Central Asian Countries Look to Beijing” by Adina Masalbekova (Sept. 10)

Amid the collapse of the Soviet Union and Central Asian countries’ subsequent independence, the Uyghurs — a Turkic-speaking people who primarily reside in China’s western Xinjiang province — launched an independence movement. Now, Central Asian governments look to Beijing for solidarity against separatism.

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“How Europe’s Smuggling Crackdown Criminalizes Asylum Seekers” by Katy Fallon (Sept. 11)

As the European Union ramps up its fight against smuggling, member countries target refugees and migrants. In Greece and elsewhere, asylum seekers are increasingly facing accusations of smuggling after being found behind the helm of a refugee boat or driving a car.

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“Would Kamala Harris Change US Nuclear Weapons Policy?” by Allie Maloney (Sept. 12)

Not only does research contradict the “women as peacemakers” argument, but the assumption that women are inherently peaceful is an argument that portrays women as a homogenous group with little differentiation in experiences, failing to address the real problem: the patriarchal hierarchies built into state security institutions.

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“Deep Dive: Conspiracy Theories and the Left and Right” by Emily Tamkin (Sept. 13)

The authors of a new paper demonstrate that previous inconsistent findings on this question of how conspiracy theories relate to political ideology come from research designs, meaning they can’t be used to draw conclusions.

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From the desk of Patrick Strickland, managing editor of Inkstick Media.

Photo: As summer fades, Ukrainians have been flocking to the shore for respite (Iryna Matviyishyn/Inkstick Media)