We in the West do not expect much from Russia. In our diplomatic dealings since the Cold War, we have gotten used to Russia’s grudging compliance, at best, and gleeful defiance, at worst. Most of us do not pay much attention to its domestic affairs, besides shaking our heads every time Vladimir Putin fudges an […]
Archives for November 2013
Blinded by the Light
On a semi-clear night, an observer with fairly good vision should be able to see over 7,000 stars. But that spectacular sight requires darkness, an increasingly rare condition in our modern society. A cloud of light hovers above most of the United States, nearly all of Europe, and all of Japan. Light pollution is said […]
Militarized Nationalism and the New Egyptian State
On September 23, 2013, the previously unheard of Cairo Court of Urgent Affairs passed a ruling that authorized the regime to seize the funds of the Muslim Brotherhood and effectively criminalized the group’s activities. Although it is still unclear whether the current military-backed regime can muster enough authority to enforce this ruling on its turbulent […]
The Efficacy of Cash Transfers
This summer, This American Life compared GiveDirectly, a young organization that provides unconditional cash transfers to villagers in Kenya through mobile phones, to Heifer International, a more traditional charity that provides similar villages with farm animals and training. Paul Niehaus, one of GiveDirectly’s founders, made an interesting proposal: We would like to see organizations make […]
Boring and Proud
Visiting Berlin speaks volumes about Germany’s experience with the 20th century. The hauntingly beautiful Holocaust Memorial, a sea of different sized concrete blocks arranged in a grid pattern, occupies an entire block in central Berlin. No more than 2 blocks away, the Brandenburg Gate, center of the original Berlin wall, towers over the entire city, […]
Demanding Justice: China’s Broken Petitioning System
On July 20, 2013, wheelchair-bound Ji Zhongxing, 34, rolled into Terminal 3 of Beijing’s Capital Airport and detonated a homemade bomb. In the amateur online videos that went viral immediately following the incident, Mr. Ji is gesturing frantically, then there is a loud bang and the arrivals entry hall fills with thick black smoke. No […]
An Unexceptional Spy
In September, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff stood before the UN general assembly to deliver a scathing condemnation of U.S. intelligence policy. In response to new leaks that showed that the NSA was not only collecting information on U.S. citizens, but also eavesdropping on the private communications of Brazilians, Rousseff branded the U.S. an international criminal. […]
The Case of Barrett Brown and the War on Journalism
By Christopher Wedeman This will be remembered as a formative year in the war for control over the flow of information on the Internet. Disclosures by Edward Snowden triggered international consciousness of wide-ranging and pervasive surveillance of people all over the world by United States “security” agencies. But while much reporting has been dedicated to […]
Authoritarian Resilience Through Democracy
In an era when United States foreign policy is dominated by the effort to create functioning democracies around the world, it is important to understand how or if democratic procedures alone can create a fairer society. The United States has promoted democracies abroad countless times. Arguments favoring the Democracy Peace Theory– that democratic states are […]
Lessons from Cuban Healthcare
It may be strange to think that Cuba takes better care of its citizens than the United States, but in a certain sense this is true. Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate and the same life expectancy rate. Its various cancer survival rates are on par with ours and even surpass American rates for breast […]