Reversing the backlash against globalization requires active politics in two opposite directions: the strengthening of democracy beyond the level of the nation state; and strenuous efforts at local economic development.
Category: Columns
The latest climate science must mobilize us, not paralyze us
Monica Araya and Carlos Manuel Rodriguez San Jose – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body tasked with providing scientific evidence and consensus on climate change and its implications for decision-makers and the public, has just…
‘New’ perspectives for Europe
I am invited to talk about New Perspectives on Europe, but new ones fail me, and the Trumpian decay afflicting even the core of Europe makes me seriously question my old perspectives. Certainly, the risks associated with a significantly changed…
Water turning from community resource to a private privilege
Water is becoming a private privilege rather than a community resource. It is also one of the world’s most precious resources. As vital to the survival of the human species as the air that we breathe.
The economy’s Cuban Missle Crisis
In 2008 a global financial meltdown was just barely contained. But Adam Tooze says that the crisis of confidence has had long aftershocks.
Are blue-collar jobs turning white?
Manual jobs in European manufacturing are being transformed as blue-collar workers take on more intellectual tasks. This is a consequence of the increasing use of digital tools and the growing importance of quality control in production. The severe losses of…
Single European EU President: For democratic European polity
Experts and pundits have long discussed how to fill the perceived gap between ordinary citizens and the workings of the European institutions. EU institutions have been suffering for a long time from a knowledge deficit, even more so than a…
Zero hunger: Our actions today are our future tomorrow
Just three years ago, in September 2015, all United Nations Member States approved the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The eradication of hunger and all forms of malnutrition (Sustainable Development Goal number 2) was defined by world leaders as a…
What Is wrong with the nordic model?
Political scientists love the Nordics. They seem to have everything right. Their model is often held up as the pinnacle of good governance, economics, and social policy. Adoption of Scandinavian institutions and ways of doing things by other countries is…
That single line of blood: Nassir al-Mosabeh, Md al-Durrah
By Dr Ramzy Baroud As the frail body of 12-year-old Nassir Al-Mosabeh fell to the ground on Friday, September 28, history was repeating itself in a most tragic way.
Syria’s No-Fly Zone
By Askiah Adam The Russian Defence Minister has announced that the promised S-300 air defence system has been delivered to Syria with the Karushka 4 radar systems jammer and other related military equipment, to boost the safety of Russia’s military…
Where camels walk on water
Tesfaye Bekalu Camels can walk on water. I wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. And if you don’t believe me, well, just look at the picture below to see camels walking on water in…
Suu Kyi is most polished mouthpiece of Myanmar military
By Maung Zarni Watching YouTube Myanmar State Counsellor’s 43rd Singapore lecture — 1-hour lecture including the questions and answers – entitled, “Democratic Transition in Myanmar: Challenges and the Way Forward,” left me deeply disturbed, pained and outraged.
Politics, pessimism and populism
The rise of right-wing populism is probably the most pressing problem facing Europe today. Many analysts, including myself, have linked the rise of populism to the decline of the social democratic or center-left. Many traditional social democratic voters now vote…
The collapse of European social democracy, Part 2
In the first part of his analysis Paul Sweeney pointed to a variety of causes behind the decline of social democracy over the past 30 years or more. In this second part he looks at wider economic and social trends…
Nobel prize – befitting honour for two great economists
Shahid Iman It is so fitting that this year’s Nobel Prize in economics is awarded to two great economists who reshaped our understanding of the long-term determinants of economic growth: William Nordhaus of Yale “for integrating climate change into long-run…
The Collapse Of European Social Democracy, Part 1
Introduction Social Democracy (SD) has been the most powerful political force in Europe since the Second World War. It turned the nation state into the welfare state. Its politics built the welfare state and healthcare systems in West European countries.…
Social solidarity for sustainable development
by Gro Harlem Brundtland Oslo – The late Kofi Annan once said that climate change is the “existential issue of our time.” A wave of extreme weather events this past summer – from wildfires in California and Sweden to floods…
Hurricanes at the Ballot Box
by Vinod Thomas Singapore – Hurricane Florence, which smashed into the southea stern United States last week, is the latest in a string of extreme weather events that have raised expectations for disaster preparedness.
Climate response must be embed an approach to development
In the face of the many challenges posed by climate change, Panos Caribbean, a global network of institutes working to give a voice to poor and marginalised communities, says the Caribbean must raise its voice to demand and support the…
An HR-based approach to wat-san improves instts for the poor
by Christian Borja-Vega co-authors: Eva Kloeve In our previous blog, we looked at how water and sanitation came to be recognized as a human right, and what that means in practice. Today, we look at how formal and informal institutional…
Prevent neo economic meltdown with European green New Deal
In the acres of recent coverage about the causes of the Lehman Brothers collapse and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again, there was much emphasis on changing the EU’s economic imperatives away from austerity policies that contributed to Brexit,…
‘Us Too!’ – The rise of middle-class populism in Sweden
The recent parliamentary election in Sweden stunned observers around the world. Up until now Sweden was often thought of as holding the moral high ground due to its relatively open borders, its extensive welfare state and its commitment to high…
Entrepreneurial about gender equality
Asia and the Pacific needs more women entrepreneurs. Women’s economic empowerment and gender equality depend on it, as does the inclusive economic growth needed to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This drives a new initiative by the United Nations…
Why the left must resist wanting the xenophobic action
Since 2008 the left around the advanced world has dreamed of a popular uprising against the neoliberal elite that brought us the financial crash. Now that uprising has come, but it has been almost entirely captured by a far right…
Political-economy fallouts of universal basic income schemes
In his recent op-ed and the associated working paper, Thomas Palley warns against the Ricardian vice of ignoring political-economy considerations when laying out policy proposals, thus focusing too narrowly on strict economistic reasoning. In the big-picture debate on an employer…
Can Russia’s IL-20 be beginning of end for Israeli Hubris?
By Askiah Adam None of us would be cheering on a war that could easily be the absolutely final one if President Putin had not defused the situation while clearly signalling that he holds Israel accountable for downing the Russian…
People’s vote on Brexit: Be careful what you wish for
When thinking about Brexit and Europe, we should remember the words of Hans Magnus Enzensberger: short term hopes are futile – long term resignation is suicidal.
Without food security, there is no peace
Reversing years of progress, global hunger is on the rise once again and one of the culprits is clear: conflict.A high-level side event during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly brought together, U.N. officials, governments, and civil…
30+ Food leaders to convene on October 3 in New York City
From Danielle Nierenberg In just six days, Food Tank will present its SOLD OUT Second Annual New York City Summit, “Focusing on Food Loss and Food Waste” in partnership with New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human…