I recently finished reading The Spirit Level, a book which presents statistical evidence that more equal societies nearly always do better in every measure of social cohesion and human well-being. Check out this table on infant mortality. The vertical axis represents the level of infant mortality in developed countries; the horizontal axis represents levels of […]
Amazing how demonstrations of appalling, imminent disaster tend to clarify the thinking. Eric Butler has developed a brilliant piece of software called Firesheep that makes web site identity hijacking easy and fun for all. (Ed: First the iCow, now the Firesheep? CD: Agreed, it would behoof them to switch it up a bit.) The concern […]
Per Obama’s proclamation last week, yesterday was United Nations Day. So I’ll take the opportunity to respond to fellow blogger, Ben Moscovitch, of FPA’s Israel blog, who wrote: “does that moniker then also make it anti-Israel day”? Moscovitch, like many others, misreads the nature of the UN’s bias. Moscovitch criticizes the UN because it “considers […]
You’ve found your way Foreign Policy Association’s newest blog; and welcome! Power politics can be defined as the state of international relations in which sovereign states leverage tools of national power – political, military and economic – to affect international outcomes in ways which further the national interest. Specifically, the blog will examine the application of hard power […]
UNICEF reaches out to DR Congo’s children Child soldiers and children orphaned by violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being given the opportunity to heal and learn in UNICEF-backed schools. United Nations officials estimate there are tens of thousands of children caught up in the country’s conflict. Cholera strikes rural Haiti A deadly […]
This week Haiti was struck by a massive Cholera epidemic, as though the island and its inhabitants haven’t already faced enough this year. So far 250 have been registered as deceased, most of dehydration en route to medical centers. Over 3,000 people have visited medical sites. Many others have likely died without reaching a clinic […]
Here in Rovinj, a picture perfect little town on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, the third annual “Media Weekend Festival,” September 23-25, brought together over 2,500 media, PR, advertising and communications specialists from countries of the former Yugoslavia to hear from international experts on new trends in the media field, assess the regional media situation and provide […]
“I believe we are at the end of the Free Market.” That startling statement kicked off the FPA’s final keynote speaker on Monday afternoon. Author and geopolitical strategist Ian Bremmer, Ph.D.
World Food Day was marked on October 16th with prominent leaders meeting at the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome to discuss increased investment in agriculture, good governance by nations and the importance of unity in the global fight against hunger – which chronically affects over 1 billion people. The Committee on […]
It’s ten days to midterm elections in the US. Tempers are running a bit high. Now FreedomWorks, one of the larger organized vehicles driving Tea Party activism, claims to have been shut down by a “cyber attack” when they were about to start a Glenn Beck online fundraiser. The WSJ doesn’t provide many details apart […]
This week I came across a really interesting article picked up by Pakistan’s mainstream media. Since Pakistan’s media is free, but predominantly government-owned or overseen, articles are carefully reviewed for content by editors. Pakistani editors heeding the accomplishments of women within the traditionally conservative society is an extremely progressive thing. How well women do (personally […]
I noted in the last post below how the UK is ramping up its offshore wind industry and providing the port infrastructure to do this efficiently and in a timely fashion. I also noted recently the major boost that Google’s Eastern Seaboard offshore cable initiative is giving the industry and that the Cape Wind project […]
This weekend’s New York Times Magazine features an article by Nick Kristof on the “new” phenomenon of “do-it-yourself” foreign aid work. The idea of young, idealistic Westerners leaving behind a life of privilege to try to fix the many problems of the developing world isn’t a new one: it’s what drove the Peace Corps revolution […]
I have a new piece up at Foreign Policy in Focus. It examines an often overlooked aspect of the U.S.’s current policy toward Iran. Here’s a teaser: For years, the United States and Israel have engaged in a covert effort to destabilize Iran’s government and sabotage its nuclear program. But these operations frequently escape mention […]
