Will Russia or China fill the $1 billion each year that American taxpayers spend on Somalia?
Somalia has extreme issues; its leadership should focus on helping its citizens, rather than complaining about what's happening somewhere it hasn't controlled for >30 years. Get serious.
🚨BREAKING *SUBTITLED*:
President of failed state Somalia
@HassanSMohamud
delivered a speech tonight in which he threatened the international community he'll:
"knock on doors I dont want to knock on".
Implication here is possibly Russia and/or China.
Desperation is
Delighted to see my essay with the brilliant
@JendayiFrazer
published by
@HooverInst
, "The Kosovo Conditions and the Case for American Unilateral Recognition of Somaliland"...
Almost 30 years to the day that
#Somaliland
declared independence, I am very happy to share my article, "Better Off Alone: Somaliland, Institutional Legacy, and Prosperity" in The Journal of the Middle East and Africa
In one tweet, the State Dept demolishes the illusion that it is serious about engagement with Africa, development, or democracy. "One Somalia" policy has failed for 30 years.
Instead of supporting Somaliland's self determination, Biden backs an unelected and unstable Mogadishu.
We welcome IGAD’s Jan 18 summit on tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia and the situation in Sudan. U.S. supports:
#Somalia
’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and
@AUC_MoussaFaki
’s calls for de-escalation and dialogue; plus ceasefire & resolution of the conflict in Sudan.
A nonsensical statement from the State Department re. Ethiopia-
#Somaliland
MOU today:
“we urge all stakeholders to engage in diplomatic dialogue”
They did exactly that, and an MOU supporting economic development, self determination, and security was signed between 2 states.
The Houthi menace in the Red Sea underscores the global interest in peace and stability in the region—including in
#Somaliland
.
Somaliland can and should be a partner for stability and prosperity. The alternative, as we see today, is costly.
Progressives tried to fact check the outrage over Ilhan Omar's comments on Somalia and Somaliland. They accidentally laid bare just how abhorrent her comments really were 👇
We illustrate the applicability of the Kosovo conditions to Somaliland, the most successful democracy on the Horn of Africa today.
Just like in 2008 for Kosovo, there is a clear case for US unilateral recognition of the Republic of Somaliland.
Of course China—which keeps a million of its citizens in concentration camps—backs Mogadishu.
Democratic Somaliland and Taiwan are the best arguments that autocracy and terror are not inevitable, and that scares Mogadishu and Beijing.
Here's an excerpt of what Omar "really said":
"So when I heard that people who call themselves Somalis signed an agreement with Ethiopia...Somalia is Somali. Somalia is one...God willing we will seek to return our missing territory..."
Grateful for the kind words
@AmbMohamedHagi
The differing histories are underappreciated, even among the fmr colonial rulers. UK + Italy ruled for >3 times longer than the evil Barre. In the colonial, Barre, and current eras, SL was/is better off alone.
This essay is well-written, thoroughly researched, and the case study is appropriate. I concur with the novel argument and do not hold any opposition to it. It is truly thought-provoking and should be considered by all.
Nevertheless, while reviewing this, intriguing and
The bureaucracy at work...
"The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs’ hostility to
#Somaliland
mirrors the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs’ Arabists’ traditional skepticism toward Israel, and many China hands antagonism toward Taiwan"
@mrubin1971
The Ethiopia-
#Somaliland
MOU is a wake up call for the U.S. State Dep. The one-Somalia policy is fiction; deluding ourselves puts us on the sidelines of diplomacy and business in Africa.
Mogadishu should not have a veto over American foreign policy.
It's obscene that a member of Congress peddles ethno-nationalism. Imagine if, instead of Somalia, a member of Congress spoke about Germany or Russia this way. There would be justified uproar. It is incompatible with the multi-ethnic democracy that America practices & supports.
The 'Kosovo Conditions' for unilateral recognition are: 1) that recognition advances the US’ interests, 2) existence of de facto territorial control, 3) little chance of peaceful reintegration, 4) and the demonstrated feasibility of a local democratic regime.
We argue that the 2008 recognition of Kosovo, in the absence of congressional or international consensus, provided a blueprint for the successful unilateral recognition of sovereignty.
*Successful = Kosovo is a more stable & prosperous US ally today.
Drawing from British and Italian colonial-era sources, I argue that the difference in colonial strategies (extremely frugal protectorate vs interventionist plantation colony) has played a part in fostering a security and development dichotomy across Somaliland/Somalia
@Somaalilanders
A great message. The video is of Prof. Irene Victoria Massimino, co-founder of
@LemkinInstitute
.
I think the clip is part of Prof. Irene's pre-recorded message for the Dec '22 Isaaq Genocide commemoration conference in Hargeisa:
The first commemorative conference of the
#IsaaqGenocide
was held on Dec. 9th in Hargeisa,
#Somaliland
. The
@LemkinInstitute
participated & expressed its support for accountability and justice.
Read the press release here:
Proud to be a member of ASMEA, which remains committed to open and rigorous scholarship despite the fad of self-righteous illiberalism and discrimination.
Statement on Today's BDS Resolution: "By passing this resolution... the membership of MESA has abandoned any pretext of being an academic association in favor of an organization with a singular political cause: to delegitimize Israel."
-
Hampering the natural gas industry, without providing a viable cleaner alternative, is a recipe for higher emissions. Biden's botched energy transition will earn him coal for Christmas. My piece in
@RealClearEnergy
for
@consumerpal
Very happy to see my latest article online via
@Global_Policy
+
@GP_NextGen
, entitled "Diversification, Khashoggi, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund”. A quick summary 🧵... (1/x)
The challenge of the AU is, in part, mathematical. For any organization, more members = harder to coordinate on substance.
ASEAN = 10
OPEC (core) = 12
EU = 27
AU = 55 (ignoring suspensions)
"African heads of state have apparently abandoned the idea of a powerful AU Commission and adopted attitudes that precipitated the OAU’s fall." A good look at the AU's increasing irrelevancy and how that can be reversed.
The Houthi menace is not just a threat to European or Middle Eastern trade.African businesses and consumers should not have to shoulder the costs of this instability.
Peace pays dividends.
Glad to see the Natural Asset Companies proposal at the SEC withdrawn.
@A1Policy
worked with governors' offices, members of the House + Senate, and fellow conservatives in DC to educate on this disastrous rule.
Our federal lands belong to all Americans.
"The IRA’s [EV] tax credit scheme will thus privilege minerals coming from Nicaragua, whose government is under U.S. sanctions, over a treaty ally such as Germany."
Shortly after taking office, the Biden administration declared the integrity of America's critical minerals supply chains an important issue for "economic prosperity and national security."
I'm humbled to have won the 'Best Student Paper Prize' at
@ASMEA_2020
for my paper, "Better Off Alone:
#Somaliland
, Institutional Legacy, and Prosperity". Grateful for the feedback, questions, new connections, and interest in my work.
By punishing America’s oil and gas producers and fueling inflation, the IRA's methane tax is a victory for the world’s dirtiest energy producers and a loss for American consumers and businesses.
My latest in
@TheHillOpinion
@A1Policy
Excited to join
@HooverInst
as a Research Fellow. Grateful for the support of my mentors. Looking forward to continuing my research on the politics of business and energy in Africa + Middle East!
Prof.
@kopalo
:
"Unfortunately for Mogadishu, this crisis comes at a time when it has a weak hand. Time being on
#Somaliland
’s side, anything that reifies its status as a de facto state — like hosting the Ethiopian navy — will make it harder to reabsorb the region." (1/2)
It was great to pre-record the presentation of my working paper "Better Off Alone:
#Somaliland
, Institutional Legacy, and Prosperity" earlier today. Tune into the upcoming
@ASMEA_2020
annual conference to watch the presentations and join the Q+A:
@_hudsonc
And even for its hard security and narrow interests, US policy currently seems reactionary and perpetually caught off guard. All tactics, no strategy.
Without strict deadlines and efficiency targets to break the government’s permitting bottleneck, bureaucratic delays risk eroding the economic and national-security benefits of our strong natural-gas industry.
My latest for
@consumerpal
in
@NRO
Very happy to share my essay for
@HooverInst
's Working Group on the Mid East and Islamic World, entitled, "The Gulf New Deal: Power, Competition, and the Renewable-Energy Transition in the Arab Monarchies”.
A great pleasure to share my research on state capacity in Tajikistan at the
@TheIHS
grad colloquium this weekend. Very grateful for the questions and comments!
When the US government's sanctions on Russia don't go far enough, what can citizens do? A few takeaways from my research on the fallout from the killing of Jamal
#Khashoggi
printed last year in
@Global_Policy
@GP_NextGen
🧵…
"For underserved communities, both urban and rural, these green charging stations are white elephants. For wealthy road-trippers, however, they’ll offer a convenient place to charge up on their way through"
Unplug the proposed Tesla tax on the poor! An excellent piece by
@O_McPS
on how "supposed" well-intentioned policies come back to hurt consumers and taxpayers. End the subsidies.
@RealClearEnergy
Starting the new year with a new publication, 'A Theory of Professional Interest Groups in Nigerian Politics' in the Journal of the Middle East and Africa:
Excited to be back at
@consumerpal
as the Director of Energy, Trade, and Environmental Policy.
We're scrutinizing state and federal policy to make American families and communities wealthier, while protecting the environment.
Check out our work:
I was honored to deliver a keynote speech today about the future of the American energy industry. There is no debate -- energy independence is tied directly with our national security. Thank you,
@consumerpal
, for having me join you for this very important conversation.
Quoted in
@WashTimes
👇
“President Reagan used to joke about how long Soviet consumers would have to wait to acquire basic goods and services. For American consumers, however, there is nothing normal about this 'new normal'”
cc:
@consumerpal
Great to give a lecture on intl climate law+policy for
@JuergenBraunst1
's class today
@Harvard
. What are the pros/cons of Paris+Glasgow? What does it mean for LDCs in Africa? Excellent discussions.
💡Congress should regularize, mandate, and make dependent offshore renewable + fossil fuel lease scheduling💡
Check out the coalition letter to
@HouseCommerce
and
@NatResources
, spearheaded by
@consumerpal
:
When American companies acquiesce to crackdowns on basic rights of privacy and communication abroad, their actions create tangible negative effects for American consumers. It's time to hang up on Beijing's bullying.
via
@consumerpal
The federal government’s renewable tax scheme is now older than the majority of Americans. It's time to refocus support on truly start-up renewable industries, rather than fuelling corporate welfare.
Check out my piece for
@consumerpal
in
@RealClearEnergy
:
China’s annual GHG emissions have soared over the past 20 years, dwarfing those of the U.S. But according to our progressive federal bureaucrats, America’s cumulative historical emissions are the problem and Beijing now deserves a free pass.
My latest in
@_RCEnergy
@A1Policy
Capping Rx price increases will reduce consumer access to cheaper generic alternatives. Competition is the cure for high prescription drug prices -- Check out my op-ed with Steve Pociask in
@TheHill
@consumerpal
"It seems that the climate is in enough of a crisis to merit punishing American consumers in their own homes, but not enough of a crisis to mandate action from the world’s most prolific environmental vandal."
@consumerpal
Three years ago today, with the help of American leadership, three Middle Eastern leaders began a new chapter of peace.
Time has proven the doubters and naysayers wrong.
a new monograph and event by fdd explores iran’s demographic composition, how the iran regime treats its minority populations, and why understanding this landscape should matter to the west. watch the latest below👇🏼
Taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund the side hustles of slave drivers or their accomplices.
Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ has a Chinese slave labor problem.
My op-ed in
@WashTimes
for
@consumerpal
By driving up demand for
#CriticalMinerals
without facilitating their domestic extraction and procurement, the Build Back Better bill risks supercharging greenflation.
My op-ed in
@townhallcom
for
@consumerpal
Great to see my article "Leveraging Low State Capacity for Economic Development: A Case Study of Tajik–Afghan Cross-Border Markets" available now in
@CA_Survey
(Open Access!) ...🧵
OIL MARKET: Hertz plans to sell a 1/3 of its US electric vehicle fleet and reinvest in gasoline-powered cars due to weak demand and high repair costs for its battery-powered options |
#OOTT
On this
#HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay
I am especially grateful for my precious friend, true patriot, and
@A1Policy
Board member
@BobGOYA1
and his efforts to fight for the world’s most vulnerable. We love you, Bob!
A nice write up of my recent op-ed on the parallels between Carter's disastrous election year grain embargo and Biden's foolish election year LNG permit pause.
Given our greater reliance on online communication and transactions due to
#COVID19
, internet privacy and
#encryption
are increasingly valuable for consumers and businesses alike.
Consumers deserve to know the fiscal, economic, and climate implications of what they're voting on. Our statement on El Paso's Climate Charter proposal 👇
The
#solarpower
industry has taken a hit from
#COVID19
, but cutting red tape will add more jobs, lower emissions, and reduce prices for consumers. Read more at
@consumerpal
Check out the latest issue of the Journal of the Middle East and Africa, which includes my article, "Better Off Alone:
#Somaliland
, Institutional Legacy, and Prosperity"
A nice article. "...if long-term growth is to be sustained, the Ruto administration must make headway against corruption"
Reducing the burden of state intervention reduces opportunity for corruption. It's a win for citizens, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth.
@jholz__
Where have all the cowboys gone?
Via
*Who* left usually matters. Junior/new hires are probably going to be less-good stand-ins for the near future. More flexibility to offer higher pay at the top end might help to get the band back together?
An increasing number of
#H1B
visa holders have at least a Master's degree from a US institution. Hauling the best and brightest foreign professionals out of the country isn't a recipe for economic success.
Restricting H-1B visas won’t help fight COVID-19, but it will delay our economic recovery. In his new piece
@econstandard
,
@O_McPS
argues against a push in the Senate to ban foreign professionals from working in the United States.
@Consumerpal
Despite a bipartisan history of utilizing the Defense Production Act only in cases of emergency or immediate threats to human life, the Biden Administration is abusing these powers to advance its environmental agenda.
Read our
@A1Policy
fact sheet here👇
Instead of recycling the usual list of pie in the sky spending targets, House lawmakers need to demonstrate to businesses, workers, and their consumers how this $1.5 trillion wish list helps them survive the crisis.
This week,
#Congress
unveiled a $1.5T
#infrastructure
bill. Its mile-long shopping list draws attention away from businesses, workers and consumers still reeling from the
#COVID
-19 downturn. Lawmakers need to put the economic revival and consumers first: