Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, said recently that Mexico should privatize its oil industry to raise production through increased capacity for exploration. Greenspan stated that Mexico's declining oil production could lead to a major fiscal crisis in the country. Mexico is the world's 9th largest exporter of crude oil and a […]
Somehow the confluence of my pleasure reading seems to bear directly on events that we explore repeatedly in international politics. Recently, I have read two books that portray Western attitudes about corruption, lack of transparency, election abuses, and the relationships between politicians and their consituencies. I am not going to do a full book review here–just a few quotes from […]
1. On Saturday, a bomb exploded close to Tajikistan's highest court in Dushanbe. No person was hurt, and the bomb only damaged windows. It could have been so much worse. The city's chief prosecutor, Kurbanali Mukhammetov, said that the motive for the bombing was not clear, but he suspects IMU activity. However, it might also have to do […]
Here is a quick roundup of news stories this morning: For three different perspectives on the general strike in South Africa see this story in the Mail & Guardian, this from Green Left, and this from The Sowetan. (Hat tip to Peter Limb at H-SAfrica.) See also this story from All Africa. And for concerns […]
Often referred to as “banking for the poor,” microcredit programs provide collateral-free small loans to those too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. Originating in developing countries, microcredit has provided a successful model for enabling impoverished individuals to engage in self-employment projects to generate income. It is part of the larger microfinance movement, and often […]
Just some quick headlines from today: The Springboks defeated Australia today in a nailbiter, 22-19, in the first leg of this year's Tri-Nations. The Wallabies led 16-10 at the half and put up a more spirited front than most experts anticipated. Author Ronald Suresh Roberts has published his long-awaited bography of Thabo Mbeki. The Star has […]
Zimbabwe's lower house of Parliament on Wednesday passed the Interception of Communications Bill, which would allow the government to monitor phones, the internet, and the mail in the interests of “public security.” Opposition leaders, such as those from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), have mouthed platitudes about protecting the country from terrorist threats (as […]
Dwight Garner reports in his blog on books for The New York Times, “Paper Cuts,” that Chinua Achebe has been honored with the Man Booker Prize. The recognition is long overdue.
Could Zimbabwe be on the verge of collapse, possibly within the next six months? That is what a recent report indicates. With collapse or its threat might come a State of Emergency. Of courses states of emergency are as often politically derived as they are reflections of actual emergency. One envisions Robert Mugabe invoking emergency […]
Hasten his musters and conduct his powers: I must change arms at home, and give the distaff Into my husband's hands. –King Lear, (IV, ii) The personal, the private, the political, the public, and the press issues are nearly inseparable in the Aliev-Nazarbaev contretemps. I feel we are at once watching for gossip, witnessing a future […]
Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes museum is hosting a 2-month exhibition of artist Frida Kahlo's work, marking 100 years since her birth. Kahlo (1907-1954) was born in Mexico City and has been recognized as an intellectual and social activist. As a painter, she depicted Mexico's indigenous culture in a style combining realism, symbolism, and surrealism. […]
A few headlines that have caught my attention as I enjoy the first days of my honeymoon in the Pacific Northwest: Massive strikes, organized by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), continue in South Africa. They have been largely peaceful, but as the strikes enter their third week there have been some incidents of […]
Here is a short, 1.5 minute video, produced by UNICEF, that illustrates the conduct of polio immunization in Afghanistan. I alluded to this immunization drive in a previous post. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/SrQtRYjjLPM” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] The details such as the chalk markers are very interesting procedural points that you rarely get in news articles or scholarly papers–the details, […]
In part 1 of this series, I described the extremely desirable and/or risk-reducing incentives that make Afghanistan's opium production persistent. Changing opium production requires a different landscape of economic incentives and disincentives, which is what Afghanistan's agricultural aid programs aim to provide on many levels. Chief among the disincentives include poppy eradication and other law enforcement measures; […]
Le Figaro published an interview with President Felipe Calderon, in which he discusses relations with the U.S., Cuba, and Venezuela. On Cuba, he said, “It is inconceivable that the Cubans would opt for a market economy if the outside world continues to block opportunities for trade and investment.” Calderon also addresses climate change, saying that […]