1. Russian Soviet-Era Nostalgia Continues
In the piece written and posted by the Pax Americana Institute titled “Putin’s KGB: The Coupling of the FSB and SVR,” the Cold War and Soviet-era feelings that Russian president Vladimir Putin was expressing were analyzed. Recently, another development has shown exactly how Putin feels about his nation, military, and international presence. On July 31st, Reuters contributor Andrew Osborne released a piece which covered Putin’s directive to create a political wing of the Russian military. The move, paralleling the directorates which were emplaced in the Soviet Union in order to ensure the loyalty and patriotism of those serving in the armed forces, could mean a few different things for the United States and the international community as a whole.

Though Putin comes off as confident with his military, placing himself and his forces on a pedestal in the world today, the directive to instill a political wing might show some underlying distress. The propaganda wing which came about during Soviet rule was created in order to ensure that the military members of the Soviet Union were loyal to the then ruling Communist Party. If Putin feels that he needs to create a separate hierarchy which can enforce the loyalty of his soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, it might mean that there are current issues with maintaining discipline within the ranks. Though the information surrounding the stability and dedication of Russian troops to their own government would never be released by the Russian government, speculations can be derived. Putin’s growing relationship with his intelligence community may have caused rapture between his party and the armed forces, which is one possible explanation for his recent actions. Another rational explanation may revolve around the Russian political climate which saw the protesting of Putin and his government by thousands just days ago.

2. Movements to Abolish ICE will Further Political Divide

In Late June and early July a movement to remove the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency from the United States Government began to gain awareness in both support and opposition. Those in favor of the “Abolish ICE” movement are primarily on the political left and have been citing situations such as the separation of parents and children as their main points for the agencies removal. A more recent argument against ICE has presented itself in the claim that ICE was a creation of the Bush administration to stop immigrants who are only labeled as illegal because the United States government has created laws that deem them so. This is not the first relativistic argument made by the American left today, and it won’t be the last.

Regardless of the point of view, the “Abolish ICE” movement will only further the American political divide with no quality outcomes. In the unlikely case that a Democratically led piece of legislation could eliminate ICE, there is no current backup plan besides the hopes that the border crisis is solved on its own accord. Some have adopted the idea that immigrants, illegal or not, find themselves over-criminalized for minor crimes.  This is a dangerous standpoint as it rationalizes crime, making it easier for people to commit infractions without repercussion. Continuing to place ICE as the enemy to immigrants instead of holding those responsible for a crime accountable for that crime, is both a domestic political risk and a national security issue. This new objective of the left is both irrational and dangerous and should remain on the radar of conservatives everywhere.

3. North Korea Bringing More Contention

The return of remains from North Korea marked a significant step in moving forward for the isolated country in both the eyes of the United States as well as the international community. The promise of denuclearization agreed upon during the Singapore summit between Kim Jong-Un and president Donald Trump was also a noteworthy development for North Korea and the United States. The unmistakable style of diplomacy utilized by the Trump administration has continued to push the North Korean regime to adapt to reality. This being said, the Kim regime has remained somewhat unpredictable in their actions and has continued to test their limits against the Trump administration. Shortly after the Singapore summit, underground testing which remains unconfirmed rendered North Korea’s main nuclear test facility useless.

On July 31st, news that several United States intelligence agencies suspected North Korea of developing a new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. The development of new missiles was claimed to be, “business as usual.” The development of new missiles brings worries about a possible EMP attack and the current inability to protect against such a threat. The news of their creation coupled with recent findings of North Korea’s continuous development of fissile material which can be used in the nuclearization process is also a major concern.

Rolling back on their word is nothing new to the North Korean dictatorship which has made the method a cornerstone of their negotiation style. Either unaware of or ignorant to the situation at hand, North Korea could be walking themselves into a bigger hole than they wish to be in. Though North Korea has been reported to be dismantling some sites, the Trump administration could respond to the recent intelligence findings with heavier sanctions or a tougher response to North Korean action, possibly by ramping up military action in conjunction South Korea.