The Painful Lesson: Defense Is Not Enough

• China's decision to ban the export of rare minerals affects U.S. national, economic, and rare earth security, given that rare earth elements are crucial in defense and technology sectors.
• The U.S. has and should expedite its efforts to address its vulnerability in this area through funding decisions to enhance domestic rare earth processing capabilities.

• The U.S. must keep leading the world in promoting global human rights, despite its flawed human rights record and internal struggles.
• Progress on freedom in the world requires U.S. leadership, otherwise Russia, China, and other autocratic states will continue democratic backsliding around the world.

The U.S.-China relationship currently faces significant rivalry that impacts collaboration, yet history shows that even rivals can work together on shared challenges. Understanding and advancing methods for cooperation among nonstate actors will be critical for addressing major global issues, per commentary from Center for Strategic and International Studies.

• CSIS Global Health Policy experts write that the Biden administration must reset its strategy to manage Israel's conduct in the conflict, which has caused an "apocalyptic" humanitarian crisis and global reputational damage.
• Gaza's entire health system has been destroyed, with UN agencies and NGOs struggling to provide minimum medical aid to Gazan refugees.

• Ryan C. Berg and Christopher Hernandez-Roy at Center for Strategic and International Studies analyze that Venezuela's recent elections showcased a blatant electoral theft by President Maduro, who manipulated election conditions, barred opposition candidates, and used repression to secure a disputed victory over Edmundo González.

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• The article asserts that the Maduro regime’s fraudulent actions, including blocking international observations and harassing opposition supporters, risk severe international isolation and a possible constitutional crisis if vote tabulations are not transparently released, undermining any claims to democratic legitimacy.