All Articles
The Hot Potato
Should President Obama resolve nothing, when the next President is inaugurated in 2017 he or she will face the entitlement issue through the lens of his or her potential reelection campaign in 2020.
The Long Road of Sequester
The problem here is one of party politics more than policy, and with both sides stringently set on their respective dogmas, its hard to say whether a decision will be reached with enough time to avoid the economic storm at its worst.
Capitalizing on Coal
Coal seam gas, a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds, has the ability to make Australia one of the world’s largest energy exporters. At the same time, it has the potential to create a social and environmental catastrophe.
The More, the Merrier?
What Singapore is dealing with now is really happening everywhere, in myriad shapes and forms. It is a zero-sum game of demographic musical chairs; in the crudest of terms spoken by the most reactionary among us, it is Mexicans going to America, Eastern Europeans going to Western Europe, and Chinese and Indian people going everywhere.
Oscars and Nukes
As the dance between Iran and the international powers-that-be rushes onward, we need to consider the viability of pursuing political agreements when social understanding is not only absent, but obstructive.
A Mecca of Science
Is KAUST truly a symbol of modernity and progress in Saudi Arabia, or is it a superficial guise that uses the immense wealth of the elite to attract talent from abroad, create talent out of a largely unskilled population, and most importantly generate a return on the investment?
A Culture of Waste
We, as Americans, believe that using, even wasting, our resources is our prerogative, a constitutional right fought for, and won, over generations.
Qatar: Football as Soft Power
Tiny Qatar, tapping its vast resources into this cash-strapped but immensely popular global sport, is tactfully increasing its global standing. Football is essentially another form of diplomacy.
The Many-Faced Jihad
For one, groups within this evolving network must be understood for what they represent, and henceforth analyzed for the magnitude of threat they pose. After that, solutions must be pursued on a region level, and direct and combative action on the part of international players and the United States must be avoided.
Still The Beautiful Game
It is disappointing, but broadly true, that the transgressions of FIFA will eventually recede into the background as long as soccer keeps growing in global popularity and importance. What is sure is that Blatter must not be forgotten, for he is owed his place in the history of soccer; but those looking back decades on must know that he has had it very lucky indeed.
Cairo Voted No
It’s becoming apparent that Morsi needs to strike a balance between upholding the principles of democracy he claims to champion, and keep his popularity high in a nation where the people of Tahrir are still truly empowered.
Inauguration Speech
The United States, with the president’s leadership, must think beyond the common slogans of big government and small government, towards the perhaps eerie, unsettling, and hard-to-package prospect of the right government.
Lessons From Mali
Only when the European Union adopts a truly collective and consensual foreign policy will it matter internationally.
Is Jordan Next?
The democratically inadequate electoral law and its disproportionate representation still remain as fundamental issues, and the prospects for immediate and sweeping reform are dubious at best.
Blurry Lines
There is no sense in persisting with laws that punch far above their weight. But the solution to that is not, as sometimes I think humanitarian organizations imply, to rip out the core of (for all its faults) a functional and effective legal system in exchange for “globally mandated” ideas.
Self Indulgent Activism
If we allow the passion of Columbia students to shine through in a constructive and positive manner, I have faith that our community will be strengthened, anger will dissipate, and the social justice that all of us strive for will be made just a little more possible.
My Humble Reply
Before we go on to perpetuate present failures, it is imperative we consider all options. And the only way to fairly do so is to question long held approaches, reexamine present circumstances, and formulate prudent, yet innovative ideas.