I-BRIDGE's blog (Link Campus University's Research Centre on Global Affairs) - editor, Marco Emanuele - Critical thinking, complexity, international relations (Twitter, @Glob_Eye - Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/marco.emanuele.50)
Tuesday, 18 October 2016
When Nationalism Strikes Back (Michael Lind, The National Interest)
Far from being an outmoded relic of the past, nationalism is flourishing.
China’s Great Stagnation (Dan Blumenthal, Derek M. Scissors, The National Interest)
China’s economy is stalling. The most likely economic scenario over the course of the next decade is not high growth or an economic collapse, but stagnation. American policymakers need to pay attention.
8 Misguided Arguments on Refugees and Terrorism (Joseph Cassidy, The National Interest)
Our dumbed-down debate distracts us from reforms that could attract consensus.
The Real Reason American Businesses Aren't Taking Risks—And Aren't Growing (Milton Ezrati, The National Interest)
Today’s lack of spending threatens the economy’s long-term, fundamental productive potential.
Gene Editing and Seed Stealing (Chee Yoke Ling, Edward Hammond, Project-Syndicate)
Four hundred years ago, John Rolfe used tobacco seeds pilfered from the West Indies to develop Virginia’s first profitable export, undermining the tobacco trade of Spain’s Caribbean colonies. More than 200 years later, another Briton, Henry Wickham, took seeds for a rubber-bearing tree from Brazil to Asia – via that great colonialist institution, London’s Royal Botanic Gardens – thereby setting the stage for the eventual demise of the Amazonian rubber boom.
The Populist War on Women (Sławomir Sierakowski, Project-Syndicate)
Jarosław Kaczyński and Donald Trump, two politicians who have shocked the world this past year, have mostly gotten away with their outrages. But not anymore.
A Wave Election in America? (Elizabeth Drew, Project-Syndicate)
With the world mesmerized by the United States’ presidential race this year, the race for control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate has been largely overlooked. But the outcome of the congressional elections could make or break the next president’s agenda.
Victory in the Mosul offensive will not solve Iraq’s problems (Ranj Alaaldin, The Guardian, Brookings)
After years of training and preparation, the operation to liberate Mosul, the last remaining stronghold of Isis in Iraq, has begun. Over the coming weeks, if not months, the western-led coalition both on the ground and in the skies will almost certainly signal the end of Isis’s control of territory in Iraq and will be the death knell of the so-called caliphate.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/17/victory-isis-iraq-offensive-mosul?CMP=share_btn_tw
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/17/victory-isis-iraq-offensive-mosul?CMP=share_btn_tw
Is Hezbollah less dangerous to the United States? (Daniel L. Byman, Brookings)
Get terrorism analysts around a bar (always a disturbing scene) and ask them which group is most formidable, and you’re likely to get a surprising answer. It’s not the Islamic State, or even al-Qaida and its various affiliates. Rather, it’s the Lebanese Hezbollah, often darkly praised as the “A-Team” of terrorist groups, and the regularly trumpeted threat the group poses.
What’s wrong with the United States’ Southeast Asian allies? (Greg Raymond, East Asia Forum)
The Philippines and Thailand are not acting like US treaty allies are supposed to. While the Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte seems somewhat of an outlier, his anti-Americanism is only the latest instalment of instability in the US–Philippines relationship. Thai–US relations have also suffered since the 2014 military coup and Thailand now appears to be seeking closer military ties with China. But these countries’ disagreements with the United States do not necessarily mean they want a change to the status quo in Asia.
British banks downplay security breaches (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)
Banks and financial institution in the UK are reportedly failing to disclose the full extent security breaches they are experiencing.
Crooks exploit a zero-day in WordPress eCommerce Plugin to upload a backdoor (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)
Experts from the White Fir Design discovered cybe rcriminals exploited a zero-day flaw in an e-commerce plugin for WordPress to upload a backdoor.
Security audit reveals critical flaws in VeraCrypt, promptly fixed with a new release (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)
“VeraCrypt is much safer after this audit, and the fixes applied to the software mean that the world is safer when using this software.”
The NHS - is it all about the money, money, money? (Paul Hobday, openDemocracy)
As Jeremy Hunt and Simon Stevens appear before the Health Select Committee in an emergency session on NHS finances, Paul Hobday explains why 'where's the money coming from' is the wrong question.
Sri Lanka. Mr. President, please explain (South Asia Monitor)
President Maithripala Sirisena’s remark at a function held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on October 12 that the CID, FCID and the Independent Commissions are politicised, has also been politicised within hours.
The ugly truth about Bangladesh’s successful attack on poverty (Naomi Hussain, South Asia Monitor)
Apart from our impressive cricket team, spectacular cuisine, and the fact that your clothes were probably made in Bangladesh, the world’s 8th biggest country (by population) punches well below its weight in terms of international recognition.
Pakistan. Poverty and Terror (Idrees Khwaja, South Asia Monitor)
The very rich and very poor have one thing in common — the rich will do anything to protect their wealth and the poor will do anything for a meal. Does terrorism factor in their quest for a meal?
Anticipating Pakistan’s next moves in Afghanistan (Anand Arni, Pranay Kotasthane, South Asia Monitor)
From a Pakistani perspective, 2016 has been a tumultuous year for its relationship with its western neighbour. First, the Pakistan-led Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), meant to draw in the US and China along with Afghanistan while excluding India, drew a blank. Then, Pakistan was left fulminating as a new arrangement began to take shape between Afghanistan, India and the US in the form of a trilateral dialogue. While new equations were being formulated at the diplomatic level, the situation on the Durand Line worsened – the Pak-Afghan border transit points at Torkham and Chaman faced multiple bouts of closure, infuriating the Afghan government and also adversely impacting the livelihood of people on both sides.
Why are Muslims saying no to Common Civil Code (Humra Quraishi, South Asia Monitor)
A majority of Indian Muslims are not in favour of the government trying to bring about changes in their Personal Laws through direct or indirect intrusive ways. In fact, Muslims are all set to oppose this move. There are several reasons for this.
Industrial growth sluggish (Sushma Ramachandran, South Asia Monitor)
IN the midst of all the political tremors over surgical strikes, the economic scenario appears to be on a much more even keel lately. The appointment of the new RBI Governor, Urjit Patel, was not only widely welcomed as a thoughtful decision, he also went ahead with a long-awaited rate cut earlier this month. Besides, retail inflation has moderated considerably while exports seem to be finally emerging out of the morass of the past few years.The latest news about the steep fall in the index of industrial production thus comes as a dampener in the midst of all other positive indicators. The IIP has fallen to a 10-year-low in the first five months of the current fiscal from April to August. It is a negative 0.27 per cent, the lowest since 2007-8. This is even lower than the level reached during the Lehman crisis of 2009.
Power and principle (C.Raja Mohan, South Asia Monitor)
President Xi Jinping’s reluctance at the BRICS summit in Goa this week to yield either on India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group or its concerns about Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorism reflects the huge power imbalance that now defines Beijing’s engagement with Delhi. On its part, India must move away from from the idea of parity with China to finding ways to cope with the consequences of the growing gap in material capabilities.
A strategy that marks a paradigm shift (Maj. Gen. Raj Mehta (Retd.), South Asia Monitor)
SET the gushing words aside and you suddenly realise that not so much has happened that merits such euphoric recall. There have been similar operations in the past whose impact was felt but hardly spoken about. Yet — and this is key — enough has been done this time around to compel Pakistan to pause to re-strategise and recalibrate its future conduct of proxy war. Enough has been done to induce serious paralysis of the Pakistani decision-making (read Army) apparatus as they struggle with the reality that an India they presumed incapable has actually called their bluff. Posturing fuelled by the Chagai nuclear tests worked for them to limit the Kargil War. Yet again, in 2001 India mobilised post the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament under Op Parakram but then failed to walk its talk.
As winter sets in, Jihadis separate (Deepak Sinha, South Asia Monitor)
For the uninitiated, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute building at Pampore seems like a magnet for the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, which has targeted it for the second time in less than eight months. Unfortunately, for them, success, if you can call it that, has completely eluded them this time.
India should get thinking on drones (Observer Research Foundation)
A global regime to manage the use of drones is slowly being put in place. The United States of America, along with over 40 other states, issued a declaration earlier this month outlining the principles that, in their view, should govern the export and use of armed drones to ensure that they do not cause instability or help terrorism and organised crime. This declaration to establish a set of standards for the use and sale of drones has set the stage for a meeting next year to hammer out the details. While many of the allies of the US such as Britain, Germany and Australia signed the declaration, other states like France, Russia, Brazil and China did not do so. This makes it certain that the participants in next year’s meeting will find it very difficult to achieve a consensus, which will be needed to set up a global regime.
Reimagining BRICS (Observer Research Foundation)
With India announcing that all five BRICS member states are united in acknowledging the global threat posed by terrorism, and that those who support terror are as much a threat to us than those who perpetrate acts of terror, the eighth BRICS summit came to an end on Sunday in Goa. The BRICS agenda moved forward a bit with the BRICS leaders united in their “view to establish the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform, BRICS Railway Research Network, BRICS Sports Council, and various youth-centric fora” and agreeing “to fast track the setting up of a BRICS Rating Agency” based on market-oriented principles to “further bridge the gap in the global financial architecture.”
Cyber Capacity-Building in ASEAN: Importance of Confidence-Building Measures (Observer Research Foundation)
In August 2016, Singapore and the United States agreed to enhance their strategic partnership and announce a memorandum of understanding on cybersecurity cooperation.[1] Their joint statement reaffirmed that both parties agree to deepen information exchange and sharing, conduct new bilateral initiatives on critical infrastructure cybersecurity and continue to cooperate on cybercrime, cyber defence and regional capacity-building activities, including through joint exercises, regular exchanges and visits, joint research & development and capability development as well as regional cyber capacity-building programmes or initiatives.[2]
BRICS remains on course for bigger, more effective projects in the years to come (Observer Research Foundation)
Heading into the BRICS summit in Goa last weekend, Indian diplomacy sought four key objectives. First, use the forum to strengthen bilateral relationships with all four countries, especially Russia and China. BRICS as a grouping will undoubtedly be served well, and its mandate strengthened, as a result of political exchanges at the bilateral level. Second, stabilise the BRICS regime at a time when some of its major constituents have been perceived as disruptive forces in the international order. Third, leverage the platform to highlight concerns of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, and lend momentum to India’s efforts to promote a comprehensive, multilateral instrument to tackle terrorism. And fourth, consolidate and build on the institutionalisation of intra-BRICS initiatives, aimed mainly at promoting economic growth.
Implications of a Complete Sealing of the India-Pakistan Border (Gautam Sen, IDSA)
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has recently declared that the entire India-Pakistan border is to be completely sealed by December 2018. The announcement may be viewed in the context of India-Pakistan relations reaching a particular low and uncertain threshold post the Uri incident and cross-Line of Control (LoC) operations by India on 28-29 September 2016. The above-referred decision of the Union Government is reported to have been taken after a review of gaps in border management by a high-level Committee on Security and Border Protection (CSBP) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) (popularly known as the Madhukar Gupta Committee) set up in March 2016 to overcome the lacunae observed consequent on the Gurdaspur and Pathankot infiltration occurrences. The outcome of the review is likely to have influenced the decision on setting 2018 as the target for a total sealing of the border. As of now, Pakistan Government sources have indicated that they have no comments on this development given the absence of details. Some Chinese think-tank commentators have, however, observed that such a venture would be irrational, indicative of Cold War mentality and likely to complicate relations among China, India and Pakistan, without elucidating as to how this decision would impinge on Chinese interests.
Myanmar’s Rohingya Conflict: Foreign Jihadi Brewing (Jasminder Singh, Muhammad Haziq Bin Jani, RSIS)
The ethnic violence in Rakhine (Arakan) state in Myanmar is being complicated by the involvement of a jihadi group from the Indian subcontinent. The Harakah al-Yaqin’s call for jihad has put the Rohingya at risk along with their cause for survival and self-identification.
Donald Trump's promises strike a chord in Pennsylvania (Al Jazeera)
White working-class communities in economically depressed areas banking on Republican nominee for a reversal of fortune.
Combating domestic violence in Iraq's Kurdish region (Al Jazeera)
Faced with tough choices and social pressures, some women in the region are paying the ultimate price.
Is this the end of prison for profit in the US? (Al Jazeera)
The decline and growth of the private prison industry in the United States.
Mongolia: Facing climate change collectively (Al Jazeera)
With climate change and desertification threatening their livelihood, herders form collectives to manage resources.
Can urban agriculture help to save east Aleppo? (Adam Lucente, Zouhir Al Shimale, Al Jazeera)
As conditions worsen, one local farm is trying to feed besieged residents, one crop at a time.
Mexico: Judge whose court handled cartel cases killed (Al Jazeera)
Federal Judge Vicente Antonio Bermudez Zacarias shot in head at point-blank range near Mexico City, but motive unknown.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/mexico-judge-court-handled-cartel-cases-killed-161018052523850.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/mexico-judge-court-handled-cartel-cases-killed-161018052523850.html
Yemen conflict: UN announces 72-hour ceasefire (Al Jazeera)
Envoy confirms getting assurances of commitment from all parties to truce, which will go into effect on Wednesday night.
Aleppo: Russia calls humanitarian pause in Syrian city (Al Jazeera)
Eight-hour pause in fighting announced for later this week as EU says assault on Syrian city could amount to war crimes.
Battle for Mosul: Iraqi forces claim gains against ISIL (Al Jazeera)
Iraqi Kurdistan president says 200 sq km area near Mosul is "liberated", but warns the armed group's threat is not over.
On the funeral in Sanaa, again (Mshari Al Thaydi, Al Arabiya)
The coalition’s statement regarding the raid on the al-Roweishan family funeral in Yemen is honest. It was issued right after the explosion occurred and stated that the coalition did not order air raids there, adding that “other causes behind the bombing are to be considered.”
China: Too Much Investment, But Also Way Too Much Savings (Brad Setser, Council on Foreign Relations)
Most analysis of China’s economy emphasizes the risks posed by China’s high level of investment, and the associated rise in corporate debt.
For the People and By the People: Shaping Norms for the Internet of Things (Susan Ariel Aaronson, Council on Foreign Relations)
In 2012, then CIA Director General David Petraeus gave a disturbing speech on the internet of things (IoT). He noted that individuals, firms, and governments increasingly rely on devices like cars, refrigerators, and smart watches equipped with sensors and connected to the internet. Petraeus contended that IoT-related technologies are changing societal notions of what tasks machines acting “on their own” or in communion with other devices can do. He warned that these devices not only “think, but they are learning to … sense and respond.”
Shadow Brokers launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise 10,000 bitcoins (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)
The group calling itself The Shadow Brokers who hacked the NSA-linked Equation Group announced the launch of a crowdfunding campaign for the stolen arsenal.
King Bhumibol’s legacy and the future of Thailand (Michael Vatikiotis, The Strategist)
The death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who would have been 89 in December, leaves Thailand bereft of a leader who steered the nation by demonstrating great care and attention to its people. For most of his seventy-year long reign King Bhumibol was a working monarch, most often pictured inspecting projects in the field, noting down needs and suggesting practical solutions.
Australia’s Foreign and Trade White Paper: time to get real (Mike Scrafton, The Strategist)
Realists argue there’s only one genuine philosophical principle to guide a nation’s foreign policy. In the first recorded debate between realists and idealists, Thucydides reported the Athenians telling the Melians, ‘the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must’. Thucydides foreshadowed the realist worldview that nations, ‘are concerned with their own security, act in pursuit of their own national interests, and struggle for power’. Realists believe that the international environment is anarchic and that, consistent with their capacity and opportunities, states will always act in their own economic, ideological and security interests. Philosophically, the new Foreign and Trade White Paper (FTWP) should be firmly based in realism.
Christine Lagarde wants to jumpstart inclusive growth: Why she should enlist cities (Joseph Parilla, Brookings)
The International Monetary Fund downgraded its forecast for global growth last week during the Fund’s annual meeting in Washington. In her keynote remarks, Managing Director Christine Lagarde made a forceful argument to the finance ministers in attendance that a period in which “growth has been too low, for too long, and benefiting too few” has frayed social and political commitments to global integration and openness to trade and immigration.
10 foreign policy questions for the final Clinton-Trump debate (Anna Newby, Brookings)
It’s fitting that the third and final presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will be held in Las Vegas: The campaign season has been a spectacle, to say the least. But despite the old trope, what happens in Vegas on Wednesday night won’t stay in Vegas—much to the contrary, it’ll be watched with tremendous (huge, even) interest around the world.
After the first two debates, what do Chinese people think about Clinton and Trump? (David Dollar, Wei Wang, Brookings)
Americans are not the only ones abandoning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the wake of two poor debate performances and a tape showing him bragging about sexually assaulting women. It seems that Chinese audiences are also re-evaluating both the likelihood that Trump will win and his likability as a potential president.
Apocalypse delayed (William McCants, Brookings)
Today, Turkish-backed rebels took another small town in their relentless march to secure northern Syria from ISIS and the Kurds. The news of Dabiq’s fall would be unremarkable—the final battle lasted hours and the casualties were low—but for the fact that ISIS spent the last two years proclaiming the town to be the site of an End-of-Days showdown with the infidels. This isn’t quite what the group had in mind.
A Syrian deadlock for years to come (Michael E. O’Hanlon, Brookings)
With Secretary of State John Kerry’s latest attempt to cooperate with Russia on a new strategy for Syria in tatters, and U.S.-Russian relations arguably even the worse for it, we need to face reality. Our policy in Syria is failing—not only because of President Obama’s unwillingness to deploy sufficient military means to the fight, but also because of the basic logic of our political strategy.
New results on the net benefits of low-carbon electricity technologies (Charles Frank, Brookings)
In my paper, “The Net Benefits of Low and No-Carbon Electrical Technologies,” (2014 Global Economy and Development Working Paper) I estimated the net benefits of five different electricity technologies: wind, solar, hydro, nuclear, and natural gas combined cycle. Natural gas combined cycle generated the most net benefits under a wide range of assumptions, despite a penalty of $50 per metric ton of CO2 emissions. Wind and solar technologies consistently ranked fourth and fifth among the five technologies.
The strange case of the disappearing NAEP (Tom Loveless, Brookings)
The long term trend test of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (LTT NAEP) is the longest running test of student achievement that provides a scientifically valid estimate of what American students have learned. For over four decades, beginning with a science assessment in 1969, the LTT NAEP has tested randomly-selected groups of students age 9, 13, and 17 in several school subjects. Reading and mathematics have been assessed the most. The reading test began in 1971 and the math test in 1973.[i]
Does Obama really have a November surprise planned for Israel and the Palestinians? (Dan Arbell, Brookings)
Recent statements by White House and State Department spokesmen— strongly condemning an Israeli decision to advance plans for a new Jewish settlement in the West Bank (which Israel insists is an enlargement of an existing settlement)—have once again stirred a debate in Israel about the Obama administration’s intentions after the U.S election. Will it seek to leave a legacy for future Israeli-Palestinian talks?
US leadership in global education: The time is now (Rebecca Winthrop, Brookings)
As the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition says, “Education is one of America’s most important global investments, not just because it’s the right thing to do—it’s also the smartest.”
Are we closer to ending rural hunger? (Homi Kharas, John McArthur, Brookings)
Sunday, October 16th was World Food Day, a day to reflect on the fact that almost 800 million people remain chronically hungry in a world where food production is at all-time highs. In honor of the occasion, we have just published an update on progress in ending the rural component of global hunger. We wanted to see if there is evidence yet for a potential break from business-as-usual global trends. Unfortunately, we were not able to find it. If anything the pace of progress might be slowing rather than accelerating.
Brookings experts on the biggest issues in election 2016 and beyond (Brookings)
As part of a new Institution-wide initiative, Brookings experts have identified the most important issues shaping the 2016 election and are sharing their best ideas for how to address them.
Is protecting Mosul minorities an excuse for partition? (Beverley Milton-Edwards, Brookings)
As the military battle over ISIL-controlled Mosul and Nineveh has begun, questions over the future of this vital province of Iraq are flowing thick and fast.
Finding the balance in India’s geo-economics (Priya Chacko, East Asia Forum)
India is struggling to reconcile conflicting goals in geopolitics and geo-economics. In the lead up to India’s 2014 national election, the then opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) foreshadowed a shake-up of India’s foreign policy. But almost half way into the BJP’s five-year term, there have been only small changes.
Monday, 17 October 2016
The tragedy of Aleppo and the Syrian people (Eyad Abu Shakra, Al Arabiya)
Although Syria’s tragedy is too painful to be associated with humor, the suffering that both Moscow and Washington are inflicting on the Syrian people reminds us of a kind of a “black comedy” joke.
Saudi role in regaining rights of Palestinians (Samar Fatany, Al Arabiya)
Saudi Arabia’s active participation in the Arab political and diplomatic process is critical to regain the rights of the Palestinian people and eliminate the threat of terrorism and regional conflicts.
Regional challenges demand stronger Saudi-US partnership (Andrew J. Bowen, Al Arabiya)
The decades-old US-Saudi partnership faces one of its most turbulent moments. From Congress voting almost overwhelmingly to sustain Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) law to the deepening domestic criticism in the US on the Yemen campaign, Washington and Riyadh’s common strategic bonds are severely strained by both growing differences and a souring populist mood in America.
Bosnian Serb Mladen Grujicic elected Srebrenica mayor (Al Jazeera)
Results show Grujicic won most votes in city where thousands of Muslims were killed by Bosnian Serb army in the 1990s.
Is protecting Mosul minorities an excuse for partition? (Beverley Milton-Edwards, Al Jazeera)
While appearing attractive in the abstract, partition could make matters worse, not better, in fragile states.
Syria: Dabiq and ISIL's end of times (James Denselow, Al Jazeera)
The loss of the city is a blow to ISIL but bigger challenges are looming.
Syria talks: The urgent question (Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera)
As US falters Russia becomes both judge and executioner in Syria.
Afghans must support peace deal with Hekmatyar (Aimal Faizi, Al Jazeera)
As an aide and one-time spokesperson to the former president of Afghanistan, many journalists and observers of Afghanistan ask me why the recent peace deal between the Afghan government and a hardline Afghan militant group, Hizb-e-Islami (HIG), wasn't brokered under Hamid Karzai?
The new TrickBot Banking Trojan seems to have been developed by Dyre authors (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)
Researchers at Fidelis Cybersecurity believe that someone behind the development of the Dyre banking Trojan is now behind the new Trickbot malware.
UK Police purchased IMSI-catcher technology for mobile surveillance (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)
According to documents analyzed by The Bristol Cable media Agency, the UK authorities have purchased IMSI-catcher equipment.
Reading the ‘High Crime Trends 2016’ Report from Group-IB (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)
The Group-IB firm has published a report titled “High Crime Trends 2016” that includes interesting data about principal cybercrime trends.
The Chimera of Stock-Market Short-Termism (Mark Roe, Project-Syndicate)
An often-heard refrain, increasingly voiced in US politics, is that corporate America is excessively influenced by short-term stock-market considerations. While the US presidential election is not particularly focused on policy at the moment, the campaign will soon end, at which point people will govern and policies will be adopted. Given that both Republicans and Democrats have criticized short-termism, it is possible that some of those policies might aim to address it. They are unlikely to make any difference.
The Kremlin’s War on Liberalism (Nadezda Azhgikhina, Project-Syndicate)
In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States, the so-called “War on Terror” was launched. But the US-led military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were not the whole of it; many countries also ramped up monitoring and policing of domestic media and ordinary citizens. Freedom of expression and personal privacy, governments claimed, would have to be curtailed for the sake of security.
Is Corbynomics a return to the socialist past or a vision of the progressive future? (Peter Bloom, openDemocracy)
Jeremy Corbyn's economic programme isn't about taking us back to the past, but embrassing the challenges of today.
Paraguay's Student Spring (Gustavo Setrini, openDemocracy)
Do recent mass protests by Paraguayan students represent the beginning of a political awakening?
Does China get what it wants in East Asia? (Evelyn Goh, East Asia Forum)
East Asia’s regional order is in the throes of a remarkable transition, but the nature and potential results of this transition are deeply contested. By mobilising developing countries, a constituency that has been too often neglected, China seems to be altering the regional balance of influence. But how much influence over these countries’ choices and policies does China actually have?
Maritime Security Threats in Southeast Asia: A Collective Approach (Bernard Miranda, RSIS)
Being a small island-nation with busy and congested waterways, Singapore faces significant maritime security challenges, in particular maritime terrorism which is a common threat also faced by neighbouring states. Hence information sharing, international and inter-agency collaboration constitute the way ahead for a collective solution against such challenges.
Australia and New Zealand—so near yet so far (Mark Thomson, The Strategist)
Australia and New Zealand see the world and respond to it differently. That’s not to say there aren’t areas of agreement—free trade, democracy, human rights—but when it comes to defence and foreign policy, there are some important and growing differences.
Australia in the year of global uncertainties (East Asia Forum)
Friday, 14 October 2016
Moroccans have lost trust in their politicians (Samir Bennis, Al Jazeera)
As long as politicians are not held accountable, many Moroccans will shy away from taking part in the political process.
Why the world fears refugees (Al Jazeera)
We animated Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman's words about why people in the EU, and elsewhere, are scared of refugees.
Thailand: One-year period of mourning declared (Al Jazeera)
Crowds of people have taken to the streets wearing black to publicly grieve King Bhumibol Adulyadej's death.
Syria's Aleppo pounded as Assad vows to 'clean' city (Al Jazeera)
Air strikes continue pummeling rebel-held Aleppo as Syrian president says taking city is key to capturing other areas.
Which countries face the biggest policy challenges of aging populations in Europe and Central Asia? (Johannes Koettl, Brookings)
Demographically, Europe and Central Asia (ECA) is the world’s oldest region. As such, the 46 diverse countries of the ECA region are at the forefront of addressing some of the many policy challenges related to aging populations.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2016/10/13/which-countries-face-the-biggest-policy-challenges-of-aging-populations-in-europe-and-central-asia/
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2016/10/13/which-countries-face-the-biggest-policy-challenges-of-aging-populations-in-europe-and-central-asia/
Clinton’s Child Tax Credit proposal: A good start on helping low- and middle-income families (Isabel V. Sawhill, Edward Rodrigue, Brookings)
Hillary Clinton’s proposed changes to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) would help poor and middle class families, especially those with young children. Although important design challenges remain, in broad terms the plan is a positive step towards reducing income inequality.
The Cuban economy could sing—with a stronger score (Richard E. Feinberg, Brookings)
We don’t need gifts from the Empire,” growled Fidel Castro, in a calculated rebuff to Barack Obama following his historic March visit to Havana. But the ailing Castro only underscored the widening gap between an aging, out-of-touch Communist Party and the Cuban people who had embraced the U.S. president with open arms.
How can cognitive computing improve public services? (Kevin C. Desouza, Rashmi Krishnamurthy, Brookings)
Just about every major technology player is investing serious financial and human capital in pursuit of advances in cognitive computing. The National Science and Technology Committee on Technology released a much-anticipated report on how to prepare for the future where we have mature artificial intelligence systems. The report, Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence, outlines specific implications that artificial intelligence will have when it comes to transforming our society and outlines twenty-three recommendations for federal agencies to consider.
Infrastructure issues and options for the next president (William A. Galston, Robert Puentes, Brookings)
Our nation’s infrastructure facilities are aging, overcrowded, under-maintained, and in desperate need of modernization. The World Economic Forum ranks the United States 12th in the world for overall quality of infrastructure and assigns particularly low marks for the quality of our roads, ports, railroads, air transport infrastructure, and electricity supply. It is abundantly clear that to be economically competitive in today’s world, adequate investment in infrastructure is critical. And yet, U.S. spending on infrastructure has declined over the past five decades.
Solving surprise medical bills (Mark Hall, Paul Ginsburg, Steven M. Lieberman, Loren Adler, Caitlin Brandt, Margaret Darling, Brookings)
Imagine you walk into a hospital for a planned procedure, for example a knee operation to be performed by an orthopedic surgeon. Before you scheduled the surgery, you did your due diligence and confirmed that the surgeon performing the procedure participated in your insurance plan, and that the hospital where you were having the surgery was also in-network.
Could America’s smallest state lead the way toward the next energy age? (Timmons Roberts, Brookings)
The tiny state of Rhode Island is at a crossroad, facing major decisions on investing in fossil fuel infrastructure or turning sharply to renewable energy.
The American presidential election and implications for U.S.-R.O.K. relations (Strobe Talbott, Brookings)
My thanks for the hosts and organizers of this conference. Many of you have heard other American speakers talk about our election this morning—Vice President Cheney, Wendy Sherman, and David Rubenstein.
As border war continues, Kansas City region builds a bridge (Rachel Barker, Marek Gootman, Brookings)
For many regions, collaborating on common economic goals—rather than competing against each other for firms and deals—is a major challenge. That struggle is exacerbated in multistate regions like the Washington, D.C., and New York metropolitan areas, where state leaders willing to sign over millions in tax incentives to move jobs across a state border can add another layer of competition.
Is Asia doing the heavy lifting in the G20? (Adam Triggs, East Asia Forum)
In 2014 the G20 promised to implement country-specific reforms to increase G20 GDP by 2 per cent by 2018, or about US$2 trillion. But according to the IMF’s latest forecasts the G20 is falling short by US$5 trillion. G20 GDP will be 3 per cent smaller in 2018 instead of being 2 per cent larger. So which countries aren’t pulling their weight?
To have done its fair share, each country needs to have grown its GDP by at least 2 per cent since October 2013 (the baseline for the commitment). To cut to the chase, Asia is not doing the heavy lifting, contrary to popular opinion. The region tends instead to be fairly mixed in terms of its performance.
To have done its fair share, each country needs to have grown its GDP by at least 2 per cent since October 2013 (the baseline for the commitment). To cut to the chase, Asia is not doing the heavy lifting, contrary to popular opinion. The region tends instead to be fairly mixed in terms of its performance.
Thursday, 13 October 2016
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