con Lebanon has formed a controversial new government in a polarised, charged atmosphere, and protesters are not going to be easily pacified by its promises, explains Rami Khoury. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 22, 2020 Jan 22, 2020The fourth consecutive month of Lebanon's unprecedented political and economic crisis kicked off this week with three dramatic developments that will interplay in the coming months to define the country's direction for years to come: Escalating protests on the streets, heightened security measures by an increasingly militarising state, and now, a new cabinet of controversial so-called "independent technocrats" led by Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab. Seeking to increase pressure on the political elite to act responsibly amid inaction vis-a-vis the slow collapse of the economy, the protesters had launched the fourth month of their protest movement, which had begun on 17 October last year, with a 'Week of Anger', stepping up their tactics and targeting banks and government institutions. Full Article
con Beyond Trade: The Confrontation Between the U.S. and China By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 3, 2020 Mar 3, 2020Could China and the US be stumbling down the path Germany and the United Kingdom took at the beginning of the last century? The possibility will strike many readers as inconceivable. But we should remember that when we say something is “inconceivable,” this is a claim not about what is possible in the world, but rather about what our limited minds can imagine. My answer to the question of whether we are sleepwalking toward war is “yes.” Full Article
con What Allies Want: Reconsidering Loyalty, Reliability, and Alliance Interdependence By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 12, 2020 Apr 12, 2020Is indiscriminate loyalty what allies want? The First Taiwan Strait Crisis (1954–55) case suggests that allies do not desire U.S. loyalty in all situations. Instead, they want the United States to be a reliable ally, posing no risk of abandonment or entrapment. Full Article
con The Dire Consequences of Trump's Suleimani Decision By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 4, 2020 Jan 4, 2020Americans would be wise to brace for war with Iran, writes Susan Rice. "Full-scale conflict is not a certainty, but the probability is higher than at any point in decades. Despite President Trump’s oft-professed desire to avoid war with Iran and withdraw from military entanglements in the Middle East, his decision to order the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iran’s second most important official, as well as Iraqi leaders of an Iranian-backed militia, now locks our two countries in a dangerous escalatory cycle that will likely lead to wider warfare." Full Article
con Lebanon has formed a controversial new government in a polarised, charged atmosphere, and protesters are not going to be easily pacified by its promises, explains Rami Khoury. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 22, 2020 Jan 22, 2020The fourth consecutive month of Lebanon's unprecedented political and economic crisis kicked off this week with three dramatic developments that will interplay in the coming months to define the country's direction for years to come: Escalating protests on the streets, heightened security measures by an increasingly militarising state, and now, a new cabinet of controversial so-called "independent technocrats" led by Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab. Seeking to increase pressure on the political elite to act responsibly amid inaction vis-a-vis the slow collapse of the economy, the protesters had launched the fourth month of their protest movement, which had begun on 17 October last year, with a 'Week of Anger', stepping up their tactics and targeting banks and government institutions. Full Article
con Beyond Trade: The Confrontation Between the U.S. and China By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 3, 2020 Mar 3, 2020Could China and the US be stumbling down the path Germany and the United Kingdom took at the beginning of the last century? The possibility will strike many readers as inconceivable. But we should remember that when we say something is “inconceivable,” this is a claim not about what is possible in the world, but rather about what our limited minds can imagine. My answer to the question of whether we are sleepwalking toward war is “yes.” Full Article
con What Allies Want: Reconsidering Loyalty, Reliability, and Alliance Interdependence By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 12, 2020 Apr 12, 2020Is indiscriminate loyalty what allies want? The First Taiwan Strait Crisis (1954–55) case suggests that allies do not desire U.S. loyalty in all situations. Instead, they want the United States to be a reliable ally, posing no risk of abandonment or entrapment. Full Article
con Raikkonen confident he can adapt to Pirellis By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:49:53 GMT Kimi Raikkonen is confident he will be able to adapt quickly to the Pirelli tyres when he makes his comeback with Renault next season Full Article
con Grosjean gets second Renault seat By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:45:56 GMT Lotus Renault has announced that Romain Grosjean will drive alongside Kimi Raikkonen next season Full Article
con Senna confident for 2012 despite narrowing options By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:16:21 GMT Bruno Senna is not sure where he will end up in 2012 but is confident he will be in a better position at the start of next season than he was at the start of this year Full Article
con Next Moves on Climate Policy: A Conversation with Sue Biniaz By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 8, 2020 May 8, 2020Sue Biniaz, former lead climate negotiator for the United States, shared her thoughts on the postponement of COP-26, and on the possible re-engagement of the U.S. in the international effort to address climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
con Africa in the news: COVID-19 impacts African economies and daily lives; clashes in the Sahel By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Sat, 11 Apr 2020 11:30:53 +0000 African governments begin borrowing from IMF, World Bank to soften hit from COVID-19 This week, several countries and multilateral organizations announced additional measures to combat the economic fallout from COVID-19 in Africa. Among the actions taken by countries, Uganda’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 1 percentage point to 8 percent and directed… Full Article
con As conflict intensifies in Nigeria’s North East, so too does a reliance on troubled militias By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 13:58:17 +0000 Since 2009, Boko Haram has caused devastating insecurity, impoverishment, displacement, and other suffering in Nigeria’s poor and arid North East region. Although the Nigerian government and military mobilized against the group between 2015 and 2018, intense insecurity and violence not only persist, but have actually increased since 2018. In the past two years, the Nigerian… Full Article
con The fundamental connection between education and Boko Haram in Nigeria By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:51:38 +0000 On April 2, as Nigeria’s megacity Lagos and its capital Abuja locked down to control the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s military announced a massive operation — joining forces with neighboring Chad and Niger — against the terrorist group Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province. This spring offensive was… Full Article
con Study Group on Energy Innovation and the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: Advising Fortune 500 Companies By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Feb 19, 2020 Feb 19, 2020This study group will explore the role of the private sector in evolving energy systems, and how corporations might change in a climate constrained world. Full Article
con Organizational Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change: A Conversation with Rebecca Henderson By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 8, 2020 Apr 8, 2020Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” Full Article
con How Second Earners Can Rescue the Middle Class from Stagnant Incomes By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 10 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500 In his state of the union and his budget, the President spoke of the stagnation of middle class incomes. Whatever growth we have had has not been broadly shared. More than 78% of the growth in GDP between 1979 and 2013 has gone to the top one percent. Even Republicans are beginning to worry about this issue although they have yet to develop concrete proposals to address it. Slow Growth in Incomes Middle class incomes were growing slowly before the recession and have actually declined over the past decade. In addition, according to the New York Times, the proportion of the population with incomes between $35,000 and $100,000 in inflation-adjusted terms fell from 53% in 1967 to 43% in 2013. During the first four decades this was primarily because more people were moving into higher income groups, but more recently it was because they have moved down the ladder, not up. One can define the middle class in many different ways or torture the data in various ways, but there is plenty of evidence that we have a problem. What to Do The most promising approach is what I call “the second earner solution.” For many decades now, the labor force participation rate of prime age men has been falling while that of women has been rising. The entry of so many women into the labor force was the major force propelling whatever growth in middle class incomes occurred up until about 2000. That growth in women’s work has now levelled off. Getting it back on an upward track would do more than any policy I can think of to help the middle class. Imagine a household with one earner making the average wage of today’s worker and spending full-time in the job market. That household will have an income of around $34,000. But if he (or she) has a spouse making a similar amount, the household’s income will double to $68,000. That is why the President’s focus on a second-earner credit of $500, a tripling of the child care tax credit, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, and providing paid leave are so important. These policies are all pro-work and research shows they would increase employment. No Marriage = No Second Earner One problem, of course, is that fewer and fewer households contain two potential workers. So it would also help to bring back marriage or at least its first cousin, a stable cohabiting relationship. My ideas on this front are spelled out in my new book, Generation Unbound. In a nutshell, we need to empower women to not have children before they have found a committed partner with whom to raise children in a stable, two-parent family. Whatever the other benefits of two parents, they have twice as much time and potentially twice as much income. Other Needed Responses Shouldn’t we also worry about the wages or the employment of men? Of course. But an increase in, say, the minimum wage or a better collective bargaining environment or more job training will have far smaller effects than “the second earner solution.” In addition, the decline in male employment is related to still more difficult problems such as high rates of incarceration and the failure of men to take advantage of postsecondary education as much as women have. Still the two-earner solution should not be pursued in isolation. In the short-term, a stronger recovery from the recession is needed and in the longer-term, more effective investments in education, research, infrastructure, and in labor market institutions that produce more widely-shared growth, as argued by the Commission on Inclusive Prosperity. But do we really expect families to wait for these long-term policies to pay off? It could be decades. In the meantime, the President’s proposals to make work more appealing to existing or potential second earners deserves more attention. Authors Isabel V. Sawhill Publication: Real Clear Markets Image Source: © Kevin Lamarque / Reuters Full Article
con Who says progressives and conservatives can’t compromise? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:00:00 -0500 Americans often think of our country as being one of great opportunity – where anyone can rise from very modest circumstances, if they work hard and make good choices. We believe that often remains true. But, for children and youth growing up in poverty, such upward mobility in America is too rare. Indeed, just 30 percent of those growing up in poverty make it to middle class or higher as adults. Though we’ve made progress in reducing poverty over the past several decades, our poverty rates are still too high and our rate of economic advancement for poor children has been stuck for decades. That is an embarrassment for a nation that prides itself on everyone having a shot at the American Dream. What can we do to reduce poverty and increase economic mobility? In our polarized and poisoned political atmosphere, it is hard to reach consensus on policy efforts. Both progressives and conservatives want lower poverty; but progressives want more public spending programs to improve opportunity and security for the poor, while conservatives generally argue for more responsibility from them before providing more help. Even so, progressives and conservatives might not be as far apart as these stereotypes suggest. The two of us—one a conservative Republican and the other a progressive Democrat—were recently part of an ideologically balanced group of 15 scholars brought together by the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution. Our charge was to generate a report with policy proposals to reduce poverty and increase upward mobility. An additional goal was simply to see whether we could arrive at consensus among ourselves, and bridge the ideological divide that has so paralyzed our political leaders. Together we decided that the most important issues facing poor Americans and their children are family, education and work. We had to listen to each other’s perspectives on these issues, and be open to others’ truths. We also agreed to be mindful of the research evidence on these topics. In the end, we managed to generate a set of policy proposals we all find compelling. To begin with, the progressives among us had to acknowledge that marriage is a positive family outcome that reduces poverty and raises upward mobility in America. The evidence is clear: stable two-parent families have positive impacts on children’s success, and in America marriage is the strongest predictor of such stability. Therefore marriage should be promoted as the norm in America, along with responsible and delayed child-bearing. At the same time, the conservatives among us had to acknowledge that investing more resources in the skills and employability of poor adults and children is crucial if we want them to have higher incomes over time. Indeed, stable families are hard to maintain when the parents – including both the custodial mothers and the (often) non-custodial fathers – struggle to maintain employment and earn enough to support their families. Investing in proven, cost-effective, education and training programs such as high-quality preschool and training for jobs in high-growth economic sectors can improve the skills and employability of kids from poor families and lift them out of poverty through work. Another important compromise was that progressives acknowledged that expecting and even requiring adults on public assistance to work can reduce poverty, as we learned in the 1990s from welfare reform; programs today like Disability Insurance, among others, need reforms to encourage more work. And reforms that encourage innovation and accountability would make our public education programs for the poor more effective at all levels. We need more choice in public K-12 education (through charter schools) and a stronger emphasis on developing and retaining effective teachers, while basing our state subsidies to higher education institutions more heavily on graduation rates, employment, and earnings of their graduates. Conservatives also had to acknowledge that requiring the poor to work only makes sense when work is available to them. In periods or places with weak labor markets, we might need to create jobs for some by subsidizing their employment in either the private or public sector (as we did during the Great Recession). We agreed that no one should be dropped from the benefit rolls unless they have been offered a suitable work activity and rejected it. And we also need to “make work pay” for those who remain unskilled or can find only low-wage jobs – by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (especially for adults without custody of children) and modestly raising the minimum wage. We also all agreed on other topics. For instance, work-based learning—in the form of paid apprenticeships and other models of high-quality career and technical education—can play an important role in raising both skills and work experience among poor youth and adults. And, if we raise public spending for the poor, we need to pay for it—and not increase federal deficits. We all agree that reducing certain tax deductions for high-income families and making our retirement programs more progressive are good ways to finance our proposals. As our report demonstrates, it is possible for progressives and conservatives to bridge their differences and reach compromises to generate a set of policies that will reduce poverty and improve upward mobility. Can Congress and the President do the same? Editor's Note: this piece first appeared in Inside Sources. Downloads Explore the full report Authors Harry J. HolzerRon Haskins Publication: Inside Sources Full Article
con Arms Control Agreement With Russia Should Cover More Than Nuclear Weapons By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Feb 23, 2020 Feb 23, 2020With the Russia investigation and impeachment behind him, President Trump finally may feel empowered to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pursue an arms control deal. Full Article
con Honda running 'very conservative' due to higher temps By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 14 Mar 2015 11:31:40 GMT Honda is running its engines on "very conservative" settings at the first race of the season in Australia for fear of damaging one of its four power units per car Full Article
con Congestion pricing is all around us. Why is it taboo on our roads? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 14:47:30 +0000 Think about a day in the life of a typical office worker in the Washington, D.C. area. They take Metro to get to the office on time, order lunch to be delivered from the busy restaurant down the street, purchase tickets to a weekend matinee film, and call a Lyft home as hockey fans swarm… Full Article
con On April 13, 2020, Suzanne Maloney discussed “Why the Middle East Matters” via video conference with IHS Markit. By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 13 Apr 2020 20:46:08 +0000 On April 13, 2020, Suzanne Maloney discussed "Why the Middle East Matters" via video conference with IHS Markit. Full Article
con Webinar: A conversation with Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 17:56:35 +0000 The COVID-19 pandemic is among the most serious challenges confronting the globe since World War II. Its projected human and economic costs are devastating. While the armed forces of the United States will rise to this challenge as they have others, the Department of Defense will not stop planning for long-term threats to America's security,… Full Article
con Can COVID-19 Be Contained in War-Torn Syria? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 27, 2020 Mar 27, 2020The spread of the coronavirus is scary everywhere. But in Syria, which has faced war for more than nine years, humanitarian aid and health care is already stretched razor-thin. Full Article
con Arms Control Agreement With Russia Should Cover More Than Nuclear Weapons By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Feb 23, 2020 Feb 23, 2020With the Russia investigation and impeachment behind him, President Trump finally may feel empowered to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pursue an arms control deal. Full Article
con Arms Control Agreement With Russia Should Cover More Than Nuclear Weapons By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Feb 23, 2020 Feb 23, 2020With the Russia investigation and impeachment behind him, President Trump finally may feel empowered to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pursue an arms control deal. Full Article
con Study Group on Energy Innovation and the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: Advising Fortune 500 Companies By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Feb 19, 2020 Feb 19, 2020This study group will explore the role of the private sector in evolving energy systems, and how corporations might change in a climate constrained world. Full Article
con Organizational Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change: A Conversation with Rebecca Henderson By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 8, 2020 Apr 8, 2020Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” Full Article
con The Politics of Climate Change: A Conversation with Joseph Aldy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 9, 2020 Mar 9, 2020Robert Stavins, director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, speaks with Joseph Aldy, professor of the practice of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School. The discussion covers Aldy's experience in government service, and the prospects for meaningful and effective climate change policy in the United States. Full Article
con Greener Stimulus? Economic Recovery and Climate Policy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 26, 2020 Mar 26, 2020In this edition of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff and Professor Joseph Aldy explore the role of climate-change and broader environmental policy in the U.S. federal government’s emergency economic stimulus funding package. Full Article
con Confronting COVID-19: A Conversation with Columbia University Professor Scott Barrett By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 27, 2020 Mar 27, 2020Columbia University Professor Scott Barrett assessed the massive global efforts underway to address COVID-19 and the potential impacts of the pandemic on our lives in the future in a special episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
con What Economics Can Say about an Effective Response to the Coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 2, 2020 Apr 2, 2020In a recent podcast interview, Robert Stavins and Scott Barrett discussed lessons from historic pandemics, how economists can help with policymaking surrounding the coronavirus, and what the “post-pandemic economic equilibrium” might look like. Resources Magazine has published an abridged version of their conversation. Full Article
con Organizational Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change: A Conversation with Rebecca Henderson By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 8, 2020 Apr 8, 2020Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” Full Article
con Next Moves on Climate Policy: A Conversation with Sue Biniaz By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 8, 2020 May 8, 2020Sue Biniaz, former lead climate negotiator for the United States, shared her thoughts on the postponement of COP-26, and on the possible re-engagement of the U.S. in the international effort to address climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
con Point confirms improvement - Sauber By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Mon, 31 May 2010 10:34:46 GMT Peter Sauber said his team's first point of the season is proof that it has made significant steps forward since updating the car in Spain Full Article
con Confusion remains over 2010 entry list By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:01:40 GMT There remains confusion over how many teams will be on the grid in the season-opener in Bahrain next wee Full Article
con Stefan GP considers US F1 takeover By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:50:34 GMT Serbian businessman Zoran Stefanovic has not abandoned his ambition for his Stefan GP team to race this season, according to a report on Autosport Full Article
con Can COVID-19 Be Contained in War-Torn Syria? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 27, 2020 Mar 27, 2020The spread of the coronavirus is scary everywhere. But in Syria, which has faced war for more than nine years, humanitarian aid and health care is already stretched razor-thin. Full Article
con Organizational Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change: A Conversation with Rebecca Henderson By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 8, 2020 Apr 8, 2020Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” Full Article
con Next Moves on Climate Policy: A Conversation with Sue Biniaz By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 8, 2020 May 8, 2020Sue Biniaz, former lead climate negotiator for the United States, shared her thoughts on the postponement of COP-26, and on the possible re-engagement of the U.S. in the international effort to address climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
con Arms Control Agreement With Russia Should Cover More Than Nuclear Weapons By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Feb 23, 2020 Feb 23, 2020With the Russia investigation and impeachment behind him, President Trump finally may feel empowered to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pursue an arms control deal. Full Article
con Next Moves on Climate Policy: A Conversation with Sue Biniaz By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 8, 2020 May 8, 2020Sue Biniaz, former lead climate negotiator for the United States, shared her thoughts on the postponement of COP-26, and on the possible re-engagement of the U.S. in the international effort to address climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
con Alonso happy with second By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sun, 09 May 2010 14:59:41 GMT Fernando Alonso said he was extremely happy with finishing second behind Mark Webber in front of his home fans at the Spanish Grand Prix Full Article
con Schumacher content with fourth By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sun, 09 May 2010 16:02:36 GMT Michael Schumacher confessed himself satisfied with his best result of the season after finishing fourth in the Spanish Grand Prix Full Article
con Study Group on Energy Innovation and the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: Advising Fortune 500 Companies By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Feb 19, 2020 Feb 19, 2020This study group will explore the role of the private sector in evolving energy systems, and how corporations might change in a climate constrained world. Full Article
con Organizational Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change: A Conversation with Rebecca Henderson By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 8, 2020 Apr 8, 2020Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program.” Full Article
con The Dire Consequences of Trump's Suleimani Decision By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 4, 2020 Jan 4, 2020Americans would be wise to brace for war with Iran, writes Susan Rice. "Full-scale conflict is not a certainty, but the probability is higher than at any point in decades. Despite President Trump’s oft-professed desire to avoid war with Iran and withdraw from military entanglements in the Middle East, his decision to order the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iran’s second most important official, as well as Iraqi leaders of an Iranian-backed militia, now locks our two countries in a dangerous escalatory cycle that will likely lead to wider warfare." Full Article
con Lebanon has formed a controversial new government in a polarised, charged atmosphere, and protesters are not going to be easily pacified by its promises, explains Rami Khoury. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 22, 2020 Jan 22, 2020The fourth consecutive month of Lebanon's unprecedented political and economic crisis kicked off this week with three dramatic developments that will interplay in the coming months to define the country's direction for years to come: Escalating protests on the streets, heightened security measures by an increasingly militarising state, and now, a new cabinet of controversial so-called "independent technocrats" led by Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab. Seeking to increase pressure on the political elite to act responsibly amid inaction vis-a-vis the slow collapse of the economy, the protesters had launched the fourth month of their protest movement, which had begun on 17 October last year, with a 'Week of Anger', stepping up their tactics and targeting banks and government institutions. Full Article
con Beyond Trade: The Confrontation Between the U.S. and China By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 3, 2020 Mar 3, 2020Could China and the US be stumbling down the path Germany and the United Kingdom took at the beginning of the last century? The possibility will strike many readers as inconceivable. But we should remember that when we say something is “inconceivable,” this is a claim not about what is possible in the world, but rather about what our limited minds can imagine. My answer to the question of whether we are sleepwalking toward war is “yes.” Full Article
con What Allies Want: Reconsidering Loyalty, Reliability, and Alliance Interdependence By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 12, 2020 Apr 12, 2020Is indiscriminate loyalty what allies want? The First Taiwan Strait Crisis (1954–55) case suggests that allies do not desire U.S. loyalty in all situations. Instead, they want the United States to be a reliable ally, posing no risk of abandonment or entrapment. Full Article
