Category Archives: The world we live in Now

Observations and reflections of sweeping change

Mutual dependency

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Michaela

By Javier Solana Humanity’s main concerns today are not so much concrete evils as indeterminate threats. We are not worried by visible dangers, but by vague ones that could strike when least expected – and against which we are insufficiently protected. There … Continue reading →

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The last straw

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Michaela

By Stephen S. Roach, The Chinese have long admired America’s economic dynamism. But they have lost confidence in America’s government and its dysfunctional economic stewardship. That message came through loud and clear in my recent travels to Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and … Continue reading →

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The limitation of science

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Michaela

By Tony Rothman Each February, I begin the introductory electricity and magnetism course at Princeton University by telling my students that the material we will cover during the semester provides the basis for modern civilisation. Who could quibble with such an … Continue reading →

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Battle

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Michaela

A Libyan girl stood near the pockmarked wall of a home on the outskirts of Tripoli.

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Second Great Contraction

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Michaela

By Kenneth Rogoff  Why is everyone still referring to the recent financial crisis as the “Great Recession”? The term, after all, is predicated on a dangerous misdiagnosis of the problems that confront the United States and other countries, leading to bad … Continue reading →

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Famine

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Michaela

Millions of famished Somalis have two bleak choices: they can beg for help from a weak, corrupt and divided transitional government, or remain in areas controlled by the Shabab, the ruthless, Al Qaeda-linked group that rules much of southern Somalia … Continue reading →

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Dhaka’s Miracle Factory

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Michaela

Cholera, the silent killer, plagues Dhaka regularly, but the local hospital is pioneering a preventative approach which could bring hope to millions.

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Rates of Wrath

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Michaela

By Paul Krugman Not good news in stock markets — but you really have to look at the bond markets to get the full awfulness of the situation. The US 10-year bond rate is now down to 2.5%. So much for … Continue reading →

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Happy Meal 2011

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Michaela

By Mark Bittman Life would be so much easier if we could only set our own guidelines. You could define the average weight as 10 pounds higher than your own and, voilà, no more obesity! You could raise the speed limit … Continue reading →

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The price of division

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Michaela

By Mark Levine A virtue of Anders Breivik’s 1,500 page opus is that, by so thoroughly and heavily citing the leaders of the anti-Islam creed, his arguments are inseparable from theirs. Indeed, the more honest anti-Islam crusaders have declared that … Continue reading →

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