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With the diffusion of power in global affairs, a convergence of multiple threats began to intersect and challenge ‘the liberal international order’. On the one hand, the US, the sole hegemon, has been frequently abusing the rules and institutions of ‘the liberal international order’. Besides, ‘the post-Cold War US grand strategy of liberal internationalism’ has been under pressure from ‘the revisionist states such as Russia and China’ and the right-wing populist leaders in advanced Western democracies. On the other hand, the global society is witnessing the return of great power politics, imperial ambitions, and Moscow’s desire to gather Russians and re-establish a Russian sphere of influence in its neighbourhood by unleashing war against Ukraine. These geopolitical challenges aggravate the great powers’ competition, undermining the American dream of the universal liberal order. With the return of ‘the tragedy of great power politics’, the United States needs to maintain a strategy of coexistence rather than confrontation. Washington ought to prefer stability over democracy promotion, shore up its democratic alliance, and shred its imperial character such as NATO enlargement to preserve the rules of the liberal international order.

Since the 1950s till February 2023, ties between Pakistan and the United States (US) have seen many highs and lows. The current dynamics of Pakistan-US relations after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan have posed myriad challenges and further complicated the relationship between the two countries. The withdrawal has impacted the dynamics of the relationship between Pakistan and the US, and the implications of this shift have far-reaching consequences for regional security and stability. The paper discusses those challenges and brings forth the prospects that will shape the future of the relationship after new developments, including security concerns, geo-economic, people-to-people ties, and climate change. The researchers put the study together by using a qualitative research design. The theoretical framework of research is based on using soft power, which suggests that Pakistan-US relations could be improved by prioritising diplomacy, trade, dialogue, and cooperation rather than relying on threats and coercion. Overcoming the historical animosity in the Pakistan-US relationship presents a significant challenge for both states. Engaging in sustained and constructive dialogue will require mutual trust, prudence, determination, and strong political will. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of cooperation over common issues, trust-building, and a geo-economic approach to the relationship.

This study explores the relationship between the societal integration of African Americans and its influences on the group's art of painting in the pre-and-post-Civil War periods, i.e., from 1619-1865 and 1865-1965, in the United States of America. It seeks to explore a relationship between greater social integration and influences on the artwork of African Americans over time - themes and elements of art, i.e., lines and colours. It draws upon John Dewey’s theory of art as experience and Erwin Panofsky's Thematic analysis (Iconography). The study findings suggest the oppression and exclusion of African Americans in general (in the pre-Civil War period) and its influences on the constrained creativity of the group’s artwork (of painting). However, on the contrary, the findings indicate greater experimentation, uniqueness, and depiction of African identity in post-Civil War period artwork of painting. This coincides with the gradual but ominous social acceptance, educational attainments, and economic success of Afro-Americans in American society during this period. The findings and analysis validate a relationship between the societal transformation of marginalized groups (from exclusion to integration) and influences on groups’ artistic expressions.

This paper discusses discourse analysis on the “war on terror” after 9/11. It argues that the USA framed a specific discourse based on securing and legitimizing its political and strategic objectives in the war on terror in Afghanistan. This study uses the qualitative method of discourse analysis to analyse official texts and key statements by the U.S. Government on the war on terror after 9/11. It explains that the U.S. discourse on the war on terror resulted from the geo-strategic overstretch policy. The withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan was a failure of discourse; however, it questioned the rationale of the protracted war on terror. Political and strategic discourses help to frame a policy in an ideational perspective while the reversal of discourses indicates a paradigm shift based on sheer rationality. The study has far-reaching implications for future research particularly in the case of hegemonic discourse which tends to fail or reverse the U.S. discourse about countering terrorism in Afghanistan. It reveals the fact that discourses are constructed much for public consumption and the U.S. strategy of withdrawal from Afghanistan is primarily based on domestic economic and political considerations.