'We could face disaster in the near future'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'The US could soon face a threat "more powerful" than nuclear weapons'
Ashish K. Jha, Matt Pottinger and Matthew McKnight at The Washington Post
The "nightmare of a biological holocaust is far from fanciful," say Ashish K. Jha, Matt Pottinger and Matthew McKnight. The "prospect of mutually assured destruction is unlikely to inhibit death-obsessed terrorists who have a better shot at acquiring bioweapons than nuclear weapons." Western allies "must have a robust, pervasive system for tracking and, where possible, eliminating highly dangerous research around the world," and "biological surveillance, detection and attribution must become a core national security function."
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'Will the American project survive the anger of white men?'
Carol Anderson at The Guardian
The "fact that Donald Trump's candidacy was even viable" was "because of the support of white men," says Carol Anderson. Trump has "laid out an agenda that will provide the 'wages of whiteness' to his male supporters but very little else." And "white male anger, especially at the nation's inclusion of African Americans, has repeatedly privileged white supremacy." The "anger about a multi-racial democracy has put the viability of the United States in jeopardy."
'Make way for the colonel'
David Gornoski at The American Conservative
Americans "expressed a desire for a departure from the entrenched globalist strategies that have long characterized U.S. foreign policy," says David Gornoski. The "former Colonel Douglas Macgregor, a man of valor, intellect, and a fierce advocate for national sovereignty, emerges as the quintessential figure to help Trump steer this new course." Macgregor is "not just a fitting candidate but the ideal steward for Trump's vision of a redefined American military and diplomatic strategy."
'We must unlock greater access to climate finance at COP29 to deliver on the UAE consensus'
Sultan Al Jaber at Time
Without "available, accessible, and affordable finance, even our most ambitious goals will remain just that," says Sultan Al Jaber. Activists should "support COP29's call for nations to deliver a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance in Azerbaijan." The "return on those investments will be even greater in terms of sustainable economic growth and climate resilience," and "governments must raise their ambitions and support renewable energy and infrastructure targets, and incentivize private investors more effectively."
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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
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