Protest continued in Vietnam this past weekend as a 67-year-old Vietnamese woman burned herself to death at the front gate of Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday morning. Vietnamese authorities believe the suicide was the result of personal troubles and anger, as they discovered a bag at the scene containing seven banners […]
Our favorite longform articles and blogs from around the web this week.
From humble economist to international rock star: this has been the fate of Thomas Piketty, a French economist that has almost become a household name after publishing the modestly named Capitalism in the Twenty First Century. The 696-page book quickly shot up to the top of bestseller lists around the world (becoming Harvard University Press’ best […]
Our five favorite longreads and blog posts from the past week.
U.S. defense policy has been appropriately preoccupied with terrorism since 9/11, and in fact since the end of the Cold War. During the same timespan, however, the impact China’s rise has been the most debated geostrategic issue in U.S. security circles. Most agree on the significance of China’s development and its desire to be considered a great […]
Recent events highlight the potential for conflict between China and the U.S., and the larger picture of U.S.-China relations remains fundamentally perplexing. Is our relationship one of economic partners complicated by politics, or of adversaries that happen to share economic ties? As our “frenemy,” is China more a geopolitical foe or economic partner, a co-manager […]
Our five favorite longreads and blog posts from the past week.
Let’s be honest, foreign policy making has never been democratic. The label of national security has offered governments around the world the power to hide information from their citizens. Aside from this statement, the making of American foreign policy has completely shifted since 9/11. Not only this shift was abrupt and made under intense emotional stress, but […]
Eric Margolis is an American-born award-winning and internationally syndicated columnist. With three decades of reporting from the world’s hotspots in the Middle East, Southwest and Central Asia, Mr. Margolis is considered a veteran of many conflicts. His articles have appeared in major Western and Asian newspapers. Mr. Margolis is also a regular contributor to major […]
Our favorite long reads, blogs, and podcast from around the web this week.
After an absence of more than 20 years, American forces will return to the Philippines under a 10-year agreement reached between the two countries on Monday in conjunction with U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Manila. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation agreement seeks to broaden U.S. access to bases on a rotational, temporary basis, and […]
Reactions to President Obama’s recent Asian tour in China’s state-run media have been overwhelmingly negative. This should come as no surprise to anyone. Of particular irritation to China were a U.S.-Japan joint statement confirming that the allied nations’ security treaty applies to all territories administered by Japan, including the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, and a U.S.-Philippines […]
Word has it that China will surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest economy by the end of this year, according to a recent World Bank report. This is an event of dramatic, albeit symbolic, importance for the way the world will conduct its affairs. With this in mind, what can be expected from international […]
In contrast to their strident rhetoric about Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the EU and the U.S. have imposed only limited, albeit targeted, sanctions, primarily against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. By imposing sanctions on Bank Rossiya and Mr. Timchenko, Western leaders are sending a tacit message that some of Mr. Putin’s personal wealth kept in the West is potentially in jeopardy.
Our five favorite long reads and blog posts from the past week.