If the end of the Cold War marked the defeat of communism and the rise of the United States as the world’s dominant power, can the financial crisis and end of US hegemony signal the defeat of liberal democracy and capitalism? No, but Iran’s president seems to think so. In a speech to regional leaders […]
In an effort to silence the press and drown out media criticism, Turkey’s government imposes its controversial Article 301 measure. Any journalist or editor who “insults” or “criticizes” the state could face a year in prison. Prison sentences were initially three years but Turkey agreed to reduce sentences after pressure from the European Commission. Turkey, who […]
When assessing the world’s rising powers, we often focus on the most evident forms of strength – military, economic and diplomatic. But, does a country’s soft power impact the global balance of power? The term soft power was coined by Joseph S. Nye Jr., a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School (and rumored new United […]
Clean water…you simply turn on the faucet and it’s there…you fill your glass, take a sip, its as simple as that. Or is it? For you and I a glass of clean and safe water has surpassed being a necessity and a right, its a regular part of life we hardly even think about, we […]
I wrote about the anthropogenically induced environmental catastrophe that is looming in The Melting Himalayas. As a long-time student of Tibetan culture, Buddhism and someone who has delved into the politics of Tibet, I offered an observation regarding the politics of China and Tibet. In New York today, I joined a march and rally in […]
One suggestion for combating future global food crises is to launch a new Green Revolution. The first Green Revolution took place in the mid-20th Century, and was a campaign that encouraged farmers, particularly in the developing world, to increase the success of their crops by using better seeds and farming methods. The Green Revolution succeeded […]
Last week I mentioned the efforts to reset U.S.-Russian relations and so I’d like to follow up by relating a somewhat amusing incident that happened when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a symbolic reset button. Apparently, the translators at State made a small error in translating “reset” into […]
“Tight credit markets and the global economic downturn are rapidly swelling the population of U.S. companies with high default risk and weak liquidity. The Bottom Rung, a new Moody’s database and quarterly publication, captures and comments on these low-rated companies.” March 10th marked the inaugural debut of Moody’s newest ratings publication by its Global […]
This blog mostly has discussed the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China) as the main rising powers of the world. One often overlooked rising power is Turkey. Turkey has been an important bridge between the East and West for centuries (as the modern Turkish state and previous national and imperial incarnations). In the 21st century, […]
Would you agree or disagree with the following statement: Foreign policy under President Obama represents a major departure from the foreign policy of the Bush years. In this op-ed in The Washington Post, Robert Kagan, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, questions whether President Obama’s foreign policy initiatives have been the […]
On Saturday, May 23, 2009, at 10:00 AM, ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) will be holding a Run for Children’s Rights on Roosevelt Island New York, NY 10044 When: Saturday, May 23, 2009 Time: 10:00 AM Venue: Roosevelt Island Address: New York, NY 10044 Brief Description: This […]
Jon Stewart, of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show,’ skewers the hypocrisy of the financial news media claim to deliver “ahead of the curve” insider knowledge and access to business and financial decision-makers. In reality, all they appear do is to act as cheerleaders for Wall Street by rallying investors to “Buy! Buy! Buy!” as the Market tumbled over a cliff.
Lobby groups representing the ethanol industry appealed to the Obama administration on Friday to put more federal funding into supporting the industry and to increase the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline blends to 15%. Currently, the limit stands at 10%. According to this New York Times article, the ethanol industry is flagging amid the downturn in […]
Between the blogs I follow and my twitter-feed, I’m feeling issue-fatigue on the financial crisis and how the sector is coping. My weekly Economist continues to report the most pressing financial difficulties from manufacturing to mortgages – in every corner of the globe. Even for a sector-junkie, its challenging to keep up on the most current thoughts regarding Obama’s stimulus package […]
Tom Friedman, a High Panjandrum of the Cognoscenti, has a column today that indicates that his sense of the dire pass into which this civilization of ours has fallen is growing. I’ve written about Galloping Consumption and I’ve noted, here, that one important commentator, Bill McKibben, has taken Friedman to school on his Green Fantasia. […]