The Idea Department

"Lives versus Profits"

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:44:00 +0200

In one of his latest featured articles, Nobel Laureate in economics and Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz discusses the recent United States Supreme Court case arguments concerning the issue of intellectual-property rights, specifically in terms of human genetic testing.

Intellectual-property rights are rules that we create – and that are supposed to improve social well-being. But unbalanced intellectual-property regimes result in inefficiencies – including monopoly profits and a failure to maximize the use of knowledge – that impede the pace of innovation.

His heated arguments discussing the domestic and global impacts of cases such as these are creating quite a stir over at Project-Syndicate. Go on over and check it out.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"Exaggerated fear of outside enemies has always been part of the American political landscape. The..."

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:43:57 +0200

“Exaggerated fear of outside enemies has always been part of the American political landscape. The “nation of immigrants” was traditionally regarded as a refuge from danger. The evil outside world should not be able to touch the Land of the Free. When it does – Pearl Harbor, September 2001 – all hell breaks loose.”

- Professor and Author Ian Baruma on how the American government and other authorities respond to homegrown terrorism.

To read more, check out Ian’s featured article “America’s Enemy Within” over at Project-Syndicate.

"The World Without America"

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:10:44 +0200

"The World Without America":

Yes, that article title is correct. Before making an preconceived judgments, consider the topic and its author. President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard N. Haass posits this situation with some controversial and critical statements.

…Like most temptations, the urge to gloat at America’s imperfections and struggles ought to be resisted. People around the globe should be careful what they wish for. America’s failure to deal with its internal challenges would come at a steep price. Indeed, the rest of the world’s stake in American success is nearly as large as that of the US itself.

For more of Haass’s creative commentary, go on over to Project-Syndicate. Don’t worry, America will still be here when you get back.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"The Message from Boston"

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:58:00 +0200

"The Message from Boston":

As the United States continues to cope with the Boston marathon bombings, the first major attack on the country since 2001, Anne Marie-Slaughter discusses how the American reaction to these events has been dramatically altered since 9/11.

…Amid the shock and grief fueled by images of the bombing and the many victims with shattered, shredded limbs, Americans found at least a little bandwidth to comprehend that bombs are still a feature of daily life in Iraq and Syria. Today’s America is one that recognizes that it is not the world’s only country, and by no means the worst off.

Slaughter’s critical analysis of the response of both the American public and media continues over at Project-Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"Toward an Immunized World"

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:06:00 +0200

"Toward an Immunized World":

For a child, receiving a vaccine takes just a moment (and perhaps a few tears). But such moments are crucial for getting children off to a healthy start in life, and for advancing progress on global health and development goals.

Talk about a tag team. In one of Project-Syndicate’s newest commentaries, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Gates Foundation Co-Chair Bill Gates discuss the positive impact vaccines and disease eradication can play in the development of low-income countries— particularly for their children.

Intrigued by the debate on how to improve upon these global development goals (or if you just like the sound of Bill Gates’ name)? Go on over to Project-Syndicate to read more of this great commentary and other similar opinions in the Visionary Voices Focal Point.

"Suffer the Children, Suffer the Country"

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:37:00 +0200

"Suffer the Children, Suffer the Country":

In his latest commentary, Special Adviser to the UN on the Millennium Development Goals Jeffrey D. Sachs analyzes the growing disparity between children in the United States and those from high income countries around the world. The results, he claims, are startling and should rattle the nerves of both parents and the American government.

For example:

American children suffer far more from low birth weight (a major danger signal for later life); being overweight at ages 11, 13, and 15; and very high rates of teenage fertility. There are around 35 births for every 1,000 girls aged 15-19, compared to fewer than ten per thousand in the northern European countries.

Want more? Check out more of Sachs over at Project Syndicate.

(Illustration by Chris Van Es)

China's Dream World

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:11:39 +0200

China's Dream World:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has spent the past few months trying to reform the image of his government as less autocratic and more dedicated to achieving social justice. In order to do, he’s rolled out a simple, new slogan: “China Dream.”

Professor Minxin Pei comments on why this new found dream won’t last long.

Press censorship, repression of dissent, and the absence of organized opposition allow autocratic rulers everywhere to promise whatever they want, with no political consequences for failing to deliver. China has perfected this form of government over the last decade, as President Xi Jinping’s first months in power have shown.

Interested in learning what else Pei has to say about the potential for a complete Chinese agenda overhaul? Check out the article over at Project-Syndicate.

"North Korea's Step Too Far?"

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:05:50 +0200

"North Korea's Step Too Far?":

It’s safe to say that tensions have been pretty high in the Korean Peninsula and East Asia for the past month. There has been plenty of criticism from many of the leading global powers, but none more stinging than that from North Korea’s closest ally, China.

Professor Zhu Feng further discusses the “open disgust” that China holds towards the country, and how China will analyze and determine which actions to next take in the growing nuclear conflict.

For China, the Kim regime’s survival can be assured only if it follows China’s lead in reforming and opening up. But, faced with South Korea’s shining democracy and booming economy, the Chinese model is irrelevant to the North: following it would mean acknowledging the South’s supremacy on the Korean Peninsula, and thus an instant loss of legitimacy.

For more from Feng on this Chinese dilemma, read on at Project-Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"Stop Paying the Polluters"

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:18:37 +0200

"Stop Paying the Polluters":

Climate Change— two words that have become a (literally) hot topic in the past decade due to melting glaciers, violent natural disasters and massively irregular weather patterns. For these reasons, EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard adds some ~~natural~~ fuel to these debates by offering her impression on how the world’s leading financial institutions have failed in terms of funding new resources and sustainable energy projects.

…We are doing exactly the opposite of what we should be doing. Support for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources is lagging, while governments around the world spend hundreds of billions of dollars subsidizing an incipient catastrophe. This must change.

Read more of Hedegaard and her argument for a more progressive environmental agenda over at Project-Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"Germany's Choice"

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:01:13 +0200

"Germany's Choice":

As European leaders scramble to ease to the ongoing debt crisis on the continent, hedge-fund pioneer George Soros offers his solution in his new commentary. It’s so simple, he writes, that it can be summed up in a single word.

If countries that abide by the EU’s new Fiscal Compact were allowed to convert their entire stock of government debt into [blank], the positive impact would be little short of the miraculous. The danger of default would disappear, as would risk premiums. Banks’ balance sheets would receive an immediate boost, as would the heavily indebted countries’ budgets.

What’s his answer? To find out (hint: the title may be a good indication), go on over to Project-Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"Margaret Thatcher's Lessons for Europe"

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:22:57 +0200

"Margaret Thatcher's Lessons for Europe":

Since the news of her passing yesterday, the assessments of Margaret Thatcher’s legacy have been varied and critical. There have been praises of her tenacious spirit and political prowess, but many have chastised her pugnacious tendencies and often unpopular economic reforms.

Professor Harold James offers his insight into the political and personal life of the “Iron Lady,” focusing on her relationships with other world leaders and the ultimate flaw in her administration that lead to her ousting.

She played ruthlessly on her femininity. As leader of the opposition, she visited the oldest and most conservative college at the University of Cambridge in order to address the rather small minority of conservative-inclined academics. The wood-paneled room was lit in the evening only by candles, masked behind reddish-yellow shades. She began by remarking that the room looked more like a night club than a university, and then she took her jacket off and whirled it around her head as if she were about to begin a striptease.

Intrigued? Check out the new article over at Project-Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"The Dirge of Cyprus"

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:17:00 +0100

"The Dirge of Cyprus":

Continuing the discussion on Cyprus, and its recent potential rescue plan formulated by the European Central Bank, Professor Harold James offers his perspective on the growing financial crisis within the country and the Eurozone.

Events in Cyprus have exposed two other dimensions to the clashes over Europe’s dual sovereign-debt and banking crisis. First, the discussion of a levy on bank deposits, and whether small customers should be exempted, put class conflict front and center. Second, the question of foreign, and especially Russian, depositors – along with proximity to Syria – has turned the rescue of the Cypriot banking sector into an international relations problem.

If you want to read more about James’s opinions on the growing international fiscal tensions, and how he relates the crisis to 50 Cent (we’re not kidding), check out the article on Project-Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

Now Presenting...Visionary Voices

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:00:42 +0100

Interested in reading top experts’ opinions on the growing trends and issues plaguing developing countries? Want to learn more about health, science and technology innovations that are aiming to combat such challenges?

Project-Syndicate, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, the Columbia Earth Institute and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, presents its new Focal Points series, Visionary Voices. Working together, these organizations provide analysis on the debate and trends surrounding developing countries and their potential impact on the global economy.

Check out these commentaries now over at Project-Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

"Iraqi Hope Dies Last"

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:02:26 +0100

"Iraqi Hope Dies Last":

As we continue to reflect on the 10th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi offers his analysis of the current situation in his country.

Allawi writes that the same optimism that fueled Iraq’s first free elections post-Sadaam is currently being shattered by the government’s inability to control its political fragmentation and effectively supervise its electoral system.

…Public services have deteriorated to a dismal level, and unemployment is rising sharply, despite public expenditure in excess of $500 billion over the seven years of Maliki’s rule. Sectarianism and racism have become a regular feature of the political landscape. Corruption is rampant, and Baghdad is now considered one of the world’s worst places to live.

His latest Iraq assessment (with a resoundingly more hopeful resolution) can be read over at Project Syndicate.

(Illustration by Dean Rohrer)

Cyprus Bailout: Early warnings?

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:13:00 +0100

Cyprus Bailout: Early warnings?:

Since the sudden decision by the European Union to “bailout” Cyprus by imposing one-off taxes on bank savings, this small country has been placed in the global media spotlight as the latest and most sensational eurozone meltdown.

While this new crisis may surprise some, Christopher T. Mahoney saw it coming months in advance. In October 2012, the former Vice Chairman of Moody’s analyzed how the country’s communist-led government and unstable banking system merited a forthcoming and much-needed bailout from its fellow EUers.

I admit that I have been crying “wolf!” on the eurozone crisis for almost three years now, but I will now do it again. I think that the first country to exit the eurozone may be Cyprus, and soon. Cyprus is a an economic, financial and political mess, worse than Greece, and it may not be too big to fail.

Check out what else Mahoney was “crying” about at Project Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

Pope Francis the Politician

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:23:00 +0100

Pope Francis the Politician:

There’s a new “Papa” in Vatican City, and that means change not only within the Roman Catholic Church but also to the foreign policy of Latin America.

Former managing editor for Buenos Aires’s Clarín, Roberto Guareschi, analyzes what the new pontification of Jorge Mario Bergoglio will mean to his native Argentina and its role in international politics, particularly focusing on the unhappy stance of President Cristina Fernández.

Kirchner’s widow, Cristina Fernández, was clearly unhappy with the papal conclave’s choice. When Pope Benedict XVI resigned, she shocked Argentine Catholics by joking that she would try to be a “papisa,” that is, if princesses of the church were allowed. When Bergoglio was selected, she sent a cold, formal letter of congratulations, expressing an aloofness that was entirely inappropriate for such a historic event for Argentina.

How will Bergoglio’s social views and public influence transform with his new role as Pope Francis II? What will this mean for Argentina’s status amongst other Latin American countries and the Americas region?

To learn what Guareschi has to say about it, check out the new article at Project Syndicate.

(Illustration by Margaret Scott)

"The Iraq War Ten Years Later"

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:02:49 +0100

Will history be kind to George W. Bush?

On the issue of the Iraq War, ten years’ thinking time seems to have done little to reverse the public’s negative opinion of the War and Terror and the actions of the then Commander in Chief.

In a recent article for Project Syndicate, Joseph S. Nye examined Bush’s legacy and public perception of the success of the war.

“Whatever the benefits of the war, skeptics argue, they are too meager to justify the costs: more than 150,000 Iraqis and 4,488 American service members killed, and an estimated cost of nearly $1 trillion (not including long-term health and disability costs for some 32,000 wounded U.S. soldiers).

Perhaps this balance sheet will look different a decade from now, but at this point most Americans have concluded that the skeptics are right.”

While Nye says that it may be too early to definitively evaluate the implications of the war, he does suggest that the time has come to evaluate the process by which the Bush administration brought the United States into armed conflict.

Read the full article here: Project Syndicate.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

“The Coming Atlantic Century” Will Europe and...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:49:48 +0100

“The Coming Atlantic Century”

Will Europe and America come ‘roaring back’? by Anne-Marie Slaughter of Princeton University.

Western fortunes are rising, slowly but surely. Together, Europe and the US account for more than 50% of global GDP, have the largest military force in the world by many multiples, and control a growing proportion of global energy reserves.

Read the full article here.

(Illustration by Paul Lachine)

An Economic Agenda for Italy By Paola Subacchi “The new...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:16:26 +0100

An Economic Agenda for Italy

By Paola Subacchi

“The new government’s biggest challenge will be to implement reforms that enable Italy’s economic performance to catch up to that of its neighbors after years of bad policies and neglect. This requires increased investment in innovation and human capital.”

Read more here (Illustration by Paul Lachine)

Smart Taxation Latest article from our Visionary Voices series:...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:29:25 +0100

Smart Taxation

Latest article from our Visionary Voices series:

Jomo Kwame Sundaram examines how an effective tax policy can bolster development.

Read more here (Illustration by Chris Van Es)