Month: June 2024

A new report covering 154 countries over several decades finds that last year had the “highest level of democratic discontent” since 1995.·      The report marks the launch of Cambridge’s new Centre for the Future of Democracy, which will look at the “bigger picture to see how democracy could evolve”.  Dissatisfaction with democratic politics among citizens of developed* countries has …

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Key FindingsAcross the globe, democracy is in a state of malaise. In the mid-1990s, a majority ofcitizens in countries for which we have time-series data – in North America, Latin America,Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australasia – were satisfied with the performance oftheir democracies. Since then, the share of individuals who are “dissatisfied” …

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Making the Case for Trump’s Foreign Policy (Robert C. O’Brien) Si vis pacem, para bellum is a Latin phrase that emerged in the fourth century that means “If you want peace, prepare for war.” The concept’s origin dates back even further, to the second-century Roman emperor Hadrian, to whom is attributed the axiom, “Peace through strength—or, …

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Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can it be cleaned up? Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. Plastic pollution is most visible in developing …

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he subjugation of indigenous people—and the exploitation of their land and resources—has a long and brutal history. Colonialism is defined as “control by one power over a dependent area or people.” It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while forcing its own language and cultural values upon its people. By …

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The hatred of Jews has ancient origins. Today the hatred goes by the abstract and antiseptic modern term “antisemitism.” It persists in pockets of the right. But in the United States and throughout the West, antisemitism receives most conspicuous expression among those who back progressive causes while supporting Iran-backed Hamas’ ambitions to destroy Israel, the …

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Just before the start of 2024, the US Federal debt surpassed a new milestone: $34 trillion. In 2023 the US added $2.65 trillion in debt, the second largest annual increase in history after the 2020 increase of $4.5 trillion. Going back to 1995, Federal Debt has increased by just over $1 trillion per year, but …

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What the Chinese Leader’s Father Taught Him About Dealing With Moscow (Joseph Torigian) On February 4, 2022, just before invading Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Beijing, where he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping signed a document that hailed a “no limits” partnership. In the two-plus years since, China has refused to condemn the …

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America is back.” In the early days of his presidency, Joe Biden repeated those words as a starting point for his foreign policy. The phrase offered a bumper-sticker slogan to pivot away from Donald Trump’s chaotic leadership. It also suggested that the United States could reclaim its self-conception as a virtuous hegemon, that it could …

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