AdminMar 5The politics of sunken republicsI was a hardcore environmentalist when I started college. I’ve since become more pragmatic. I view environmentalism as the web of...
AdminFeb 11Climate change refugees or seekers of better economic opportunities?It’s virtually impossible to live in the islands without hearing the word “diaspora” among foreigners. Diaspora itself is a biblical...
AdminJan 8New Caledonia: A future in limboWhat do submarines and Tesla batteries have in common? France’s role in the Pacific, of course. Last September, Australia canceled a $66...
AdminDec 2, 2021Climate change negotiation and orchestrationThe Conference of the Parties… calls upon parties to accelerate the development, deployment and dissemination of technologies, and the...
AdminNov 7, 2021Hidden riches in paradise October 2021 was a big deal for taxes, and not because the extended filing deadline for those required to file a U.S. tax return fell on...
AdminOct 6, 2021The curious case of Tiki racism“Tiki: [Māori] A large wooden or small ornamental greenstone image of an ancestor or any human figure.” --Oxford English Dictionary One...
AdminSep 7, 2021When ‘free association’ becomes a loose phrase Every few years for the past 15 years or so, a certain obsession grips Pacific Island civil society, which is to say, the media, the...
By Gabriel McCoardAug 12, 2021Biden defends the sacred right to vote, but skips over the US territoriesThe recent opinion in Fitisemanu v. United States, in which a federal appeals court ruled that American Samoans are not U.S. citizens,...
By Gabriel McCoardJul 5, 2021 A new life for the Insular CasesAmerican Samoa’s joy is Guam’s defeat — along with that of other island territories We have grave misgivings about forcing the American...
By Gabriel McCoardJun 6, 2021Guam’s lack of a vote in Congress is related to oranges from Puerto RicoOn the evening of Feb. 15, 1898, an explosion ripped through the USS Maine, a U.S. Naval Battleship anchored at the harbor in Havana,...
By Gabriel McCoardMay 4, 2021China versus China: Where does Micronesia fit in?U.S. ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland, alongside Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. visited Taiwan, officially known as the...
By Gabriel McCoardApr 2, 2021Stupid Guam quotesAmong my random possessions is an antique globe. It’s one of my favorite things. Parts of it are battered and illegible. There’s a dimple...
By Gabriel McCoardMar 4, 2021Whither the Pacific Islands Forum: Is there an alternative to regionalism?The event itself happened quickly enough. Members of the Pacific Islands Forum elected Henry Puna, former Prime Minister of the Cook...
By Gabriel McCoardFeb 2, 2021A modest proposalCovid-19 has wrought more than its share of havoc on everyone. I don’t bother combing my hair unless I have a video conference, which is...
By Gabriel McCoardJan 7, 2021A preview of what’s to comeI once had a professor who shared a story about working on Capitol Hill for a prominent U.S. senator who stressed the importance of...
By Gabriel McCoardDec 7, 2020Glimmers of hope amid economic chaos Palau has long had certain advantages, and advantages beget benefits. Palau is closer to Asia. Non-stop flights eliminate the need for a U.S
By Gabriel McCoardDec 13, 2018Whither the status quo?New Caledonia and the curious tale of sovereignty “Members of the United Nations which have or assume responsibilities for the...