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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
- Creators: Pagel, Bruce
- Creators: Perry, Michael MacMillan
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
- Status: Published
After this examination of necessary republican components, I describe the institution of constitutional dictatorship, which I devised based on the ideas of Machiavelli and the legal theorist Carl Schmitt. I then use all the institutions and ideas discussed within the framework of a thought exercise to examine possible recommendations for action by a constitutional dictatorship operating in Afghanistan, which are to bolster the Afghan National Army and neutralize the corrupting influence of Afghanistan’s “gentlemen,” or selfishly-motivated partisan leaders. Although the recommendations attempt to be as close to feasible policy as possible, they are not written with the goal of actual implementation in mind due to their lack of empirical basis.
I conclude by examining possible domestic and strategic implications of these hypothetical recommendations. This portion is also not empirically-based, merely concluding the examination of the thought exercise. An appendix uses visual aids to demonstrate the composition of the resulting Afghan government.
Disinformation has long been a tactic used by the Russian government to achieve its goals. Today, Vladimir Putin aims to achieve several things: weaken the United States’ strength on the world stage, relieve Western sanctions on himself and his inner circle, and reassert dominant influence over Russia’s near abroad (the Baltics, Ukraine, etc.). This research analyzed disinformation in English, Spanish, and Russian; noting the dominant narratives and geopolitical goals Russia hoped to achieve by destabilizing democracy in each country/region.
This thesis aims to examine Afghan literature and feminism through the works called On Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi and Roya by Shaina and Nadia Pakrawan. For a couple of years, the Taliban has controlled Afghanistan's literature on women and feminism to silence and squash Westernized notions of freedom and rights for women. However, feminist authors continue to publish and produce many works like On Half from the East and Roya in retaliation. This thesis argues that to them, the pen is mightier than the sword, and their literature will be able to tackle the situation much better than physical retaliation, which only aggravates the situation. Through writing, women in Afghanistan can create their own identities and no longer struggle while doing so. As more and more people become aware of their situation, they hope the world will be able to provide the proper assistance they need to save them while respecting their cultures and religions carefully.