Where can you watch Condoleezza Rice talk foreign policy and then play piano, James Glassman discuss public diplomacy, Tom Friedman read from his new book, and King Abdullah II of Jordan related the US-Jordan relationship? The Aspen Institute's video blog. So far I’ve watched the first three of the above mentioned Aspen-sponsored events, and I […]
The most fascinating news story about the Muslim holiday eid al-fitr this year may concern Bangladesh. The AFP reported that Muslims in Dhaka were praying for free and fair elections, and the head of the emergency government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, "called for peace." The country has been under emergency rule since January 2007, and there are […]
I try not to make this blog too much about incidents of terrorism or about the violence that results from religious extremism, but it is such a tragedy to see the pictures coming out of Iraq today. We have become almost blind to the many suicide bombings there, but it is so devastating to think […]
October is Children's Health Month, which gives one the opportunity to look at the opportunities we are providing our children to live healthier and safer lives, both within the United States and across the globe. While the month of awareness is generally geared at the general health of US children, it also opens the door […]
Jon Stewart is fond of saying that "war is God's way of teaching Americans about geography." I am beginning to feel the same way about Sarah Palin's selection as the Republican vice presidential nominee. How many more times are we going to have to hear that Alaska is right next to Russia? I am still […]
Sarah Palin seems to be the topic of the week as the country prepares for the vice-presidential debate tomorrow. The debate is highly anticipated and many are saying that it may well be most watched debate in television history. I’m not going to give into the temptation to stray into partisan territory here, and […]
As my esteemed colleague warned earlier, the potential for a trial for Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir is in jeopardy. On Wednesday, lawyers at the International Criminal Court at The Hague urged a panel of judges to issue an arrest warrant for genocide. Prosecutors met in a closed-door meeting to deliver evidence supporting their claims that […]
I will never tell you that I can predict what Congress is going to do. Based on everything I've been reading for several weeks from every economist in sight who's been asked, I thought the vast majority of the members of the House of Representatives would've figured it out. And sometimes you just do the […]
If you were wondering about the global reaction to the U.S. credit crisis this AP report provides some insight (AP – US ‘casino’ mentality blamed for planet's meltdown): Astounded by the U.S. government's failure to resolve the financial crisis threatening the foundations of the global free market, fingers of blame are pointing at America […]
We all know that the internet is a powerful tool, in the click of a button I’ll send this post out to hundreds of thousands of readers. Every day we all sit there and can send our thoughts to just about anyone and anyone, and in that same moment that we; send forwards of jokes, […]
Last February, I wrote a post entitled “The Whole World is Watching,” using the slogan from the street protests outside the 1968 Democratic Convention to try to convey how intently the world was now watching the 2008 Election campaign. In 1968, it was rather fanciful to think that the “whole world” was following closely what […]
While my mind has been swirling around Wall Street these past few days, a few philanthropy bits have caught my attention. Going to the Dogs– If you recall that a few of Leona Helmsley's millions were left to the care and welfare of dogs, you might appreciate the Hudson Institute's panel discussion (September 5) discussing […]
One in three children in the UK live in poverty. A recent report published by British NGO Campaign to End Child Poverty says this amounts to 3.9 million children. The UK has one of the highest poverty rates in the industrialized world. The same NGO claims a boy living in Manchester can expect to live […]
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs released last week a public opinion poll about Americans’ views on foreign policy issues. The findings show the American public's number one foreign policy worry is the country's standing in the world. The Financial Times reported on the findings: “The… survey found that 83 per cent of respondents thought […]
Apparently, the world should now choose between freedom of expression or the freedom to practice religious belief without being insulted. Egypt's Foreign Minister told the General Assembly a few days ago that speech is “being used to incite hatred based on religion.” His full statement before the 63rd session of the General Assembly can be […]