Save the Children has issued its report on the state of the world’s mothers. Its report highlights the survival rates of babies on their first day. Sadly, the Democratic Republic of Congo ranks last with the highest death rate; Finland ranks first. The United States came in last among the advanced industrialized countries, coming in at 30th in the world. The report is a wonderful source of information on the well-being of mothers in the world.
The New Yorker has an excellent piece on the decision making process in the Obama Administration on the question of whether to intervene in Syria. The article lays out all the different pressures to intervene and not to intervene. I recommend the article for its ability to parse out the different options available to the US, although if one is looking for a clear-cut course of action, the essay will disappoint. It does have an interesting interpretation of how President Assad will retreat when he senses that the civil war is lost.
The World Trade Organization has announced that Roberto Azevedo will be its next leader. Azevedo is from Brazil and has been instrumental in pushing cases against the US and China on issues not typically linked to trade. The head of the WTO is chosen by consensus, and, although the US stayed quite quiet about the selection process, it seemed as if the US favored a candidate from Mexico who had been part of the negotiating team that crafted NAFTA. The WTO is not doing well because of the failed Doha trading negotiations that dragged on for nearly ten years. We’ll see if Azevedo can revive the institution’s fortunes.
3-D printing is the latest innovation in manufacturing, one that will likely presage a return to manufacturing activity in many countries that lost out to countries with cheaper labor. Unfortunately, this new activity will most likely not create many jobs. It is very difficult to anticipate how disruptive this new phase of economic activity will be. Obviously, many jobs will be lost; but some jobs will certainly be created as well. It does seem, however, that there will be a net loss of jobs.
Syria has disappeared from the internet. In a remarkable turn of events, virtually all internet traffic from Syria stopped today. It is likely that the Syrian government halted the traffic, but it is unclear why the government would do so. Obviously, one fears some sort of incident that the government does not wish to be made public. But all we can do at this time is speculate.
One of the more serious immediate problems the world faces (there are many medium and long-term threats as well) is the unemployment of people aged 15-24. The OECD identifies the status of many of these people as NEETs–Not in Employment, Education, or Training. The Economist estimates that as many as 290 million people are NEETs, or about a quarter of that group’s total population. This age cohort is politically important, and if the group gives up hope for the future, then politics generally speaking becomes more radical (to the right and to the left).
A UN inquiry commission has looked into the charges that sarin gas was used in the Syrian civil war and its preliminary findings are that it was used by the Syrian rebel forces, and not by the government of President Assad. The finding, if true, would complicate the UN’s possible response to the breach of international law. The rebel forces are not a monolithic entity and it would be difficult to determine which faction used the weapons. The finding would also undermine efforts by the US and Israel to mount an intervention against Assad.
The National Front has been declared the winner in the Malaysian elections, continuing its uninterrupted rule in that state. Anwar Ibrahim is charging fraud in the election, but it is unlikely that the result will be overturned. The outcome is unlikely to resolve any of the ethnic tensions that have been brewing for many years in the country, as non-Malays encounter systematic discrimination at all levels of government and in public employment.
Exams are over. Time to relax.
Time-Lapse | Earth from Bruce W. Berry Jr on Vimeo.
Israel’s air strike on Syria was quite extensive, signaling a sharp change in the character of the civil war. It is unclear what reaction Syria might take since Assad has his hands full with the rebels. Israel’s intention is to disarm Hezbollah, but, given that it struck Syrian government facilities, it suggests that Israel is siding with the rebels. The US is also inching forward with arming some of the rebels, so it appears as if there is a faction among the rebels with which the Americans and the Israelis feel comfortable. But this is a close game–some of the rebel groups are adamantly opposed to Israeli and US interests. These are games within games.
Rioting is breaking out in Bangladesh, as Islamist groups are protesting in favor of laws that adhere more strictly to the Koran. The protesters are pushing for stricter blasphemy laws and greater separation between men and women. The government responded to the violence with a massive police presence, but the violence, in tandem with the protests against the sweatshops making clothing for export, has placed the government in a precarious position.
Generally speaking, technological innovation during industrialization has almost always led to an increase of overall jobs, even as it destroyed jobs. The tradeoff was always difficult to make, particularly if one was working in a job that was made obsolete. At least, however, there was some comfort in knowing that those who had a degree of mobility (the young) had greater employment opportunities because of innovation. The recent trends, however, are a little more worrying: technological innovation seems to be reducing the overall number of jobs, and limiting the new jobs to people who had very high levels of skill. This change, if accurately characterized, will mean that economic growth will not be tied to more jobs, a difficult condition for economies that use employment to provide incomes. Perhaps a change in the way we think of the function of labor is in order.
For all you out there who believe in the myth of multitasking, this op-ed is essential reading. Our brains are wired to do only one thing at a time; whether we can switch back and forth between tasks quickly is a matter of speculation. I doubt that rapid switching is the most efficient way to get things done. Staying focused on one thing is the superior method.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has submitted some proposed changes to the Japanese Constitution that is raising concerns about his party’s commitment to liberal values. The current constitution guarantees many of the individual rights enshrined in the American constitution, but the proposed changes delete these references and instead substitutes submission to an undefined “public interest and public order.” These proposed changes augment fears that Abe is moving Japan toward a more nationalist stance reminiscent of its pre-World War II order. If true, then most of East Asia will certainly respond quite negatively.
Google has changed the way Palestine is recognize by its search algorithms. It used to recognize the “Palestinian Territories” but now recognizes “Palestine.” The change comes after the United Nations General Assembly voted last November (138 votes for, 9 against, and 41 abstentions) to give Palestine observer status in the UN. The change may seem trivial, but, given the power of social media in the world today, the change is truly consequential.
There are reports that Israel has conducted an airstrike in Syria. If confirmed, it would represent a change in the character of the civil war. The reports do not indicate the targets or the extent of the strike, so we will have to wait for additional information. It is likely, however, that Israel would not have intervened unless there was specific military concern. Interestingly, the Israeli press is suggesting that President Assad may be turning the corner in his effort to stay in power.
A new miniature drone has been developed, whose designed mimics a housefly and is about the same size. The technology is still in its infancy, but the capabilities of the drone are incredible. Soo the ability of the government and private individuals to conduct surveillance will be virtually unlimited.
The political situation in Iraq has been steadily worsening over the last year as al-Maliki, the Prime Minister, moves Iraq closer to Iran. The recent elections saw a marked escalation of violence between Sunnis and Shias as the Sunnis resent the control of power by the Shia. The clear alliance with Iran, and its support for President Assad in Syria, has caused great strain between Iraq and the United States. If Assad does manage to hold on, it will be a major victory for the Iranian led coalitions within the region.
The Economist, one of the worlds most respected journals and one whose point of view is one with which I have serious disagreements, ran an editorial condemning the prison at Guantanamo Bay, calling it “a deeply un-American disgrace.” If America’s friends feel this way, one can only imagine how isolated the United States is on the matter. The prison belies all the American rhetoric about respecting human rights. President Obama argues that it is the responsibility of the Congress to close the base. I respectfully disagree–it was a Justice Department ruling that established the presumed legality of the prison.
President Obama is visiting Mexico, and there are a host of issues to discuss, such as drugs and immigration reform in the US. The backdrop of the visit is the impressive rise in manufacturing capability in Mexico, as Mexico begins to compete effectively with Chinese exports to the US. The stage is set for a new relationship between the two countries, and we should hope that the more volatile issues do not obscure the mutual interests that are incredibly important.
The National Front Party in Malaysia has ruled in that country since 1957. The current Prime Minister Najib Razak, however, faces a hotly contested election with Anwar Ibrahim, a long-time rival to the National Front. The issues in the country are incredibly complex, but there is, apparently, as general sense of dissatisfaction with the long-ruling party and that it might be time for a change. If the opposition does win the election, it will be a telling statement about the weakening power of incumbency.
The recent factory disaster in Bangladesh killed more than 400 workers, all of whom were working on clothes they could never afford. The clothes were sent to richer countries, whose citizens were able to purchase the clothes far more cheaply than in their own country. It does not appear as if many consumers of these clothes have gone through a serious rethinking of whether being able to buy cheaper clothes is worth jeopardizing the lives of those who produce them. Such a rethinking is long overdue. Bangladesh should deal harshly with those who refused to protect their workers from needless death; consumers of those products should think about whether they are profiting at the expense of some very vulnerable people.
People in the US can be forgiven if they did not know that today was International Workers’ Day: I’m not aware of any media outlet that called anyone’s attention to the holiday. Globally, however, that day was celebrated in a variety of different ways. Unfortunately, some of the observances were violent as many workers protest against the rising rates of unemployment in many countries.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life interviewed more than 38,000 Muslims in 39 countries and asked many questions of great relevance to the study of world politics. One of the more interesting chapters is the one on how Muslims around the world view the rights of women. The survey, not surprisingly, reveals a remarkable diversity of opinion, a result that should undermine the common misconception about a monolithic consensus within Islam.
Three years ago, the US Congress directed the Securities and Exchange Commission to publish information showing the ratio of a company’s Chief Executive Officer’s total pay and compensation to the pay and compensation of the average worker in the company. The SEC has yet to publish that information, but Bloomberg has collected and published the data (it is incomprehensible to me that the SEC has delayed for so long) and it is eye-opening. The top of the list is the J.C. Penney Co, whose CEO, Ronald Johnson, earned 1,795 times what the average worker at J.C. Penney earned. The really sad part is that Johnson was recently fired after the price of J.C. Penney stock dropped by almost 50% during his tenure.
President Obama has promised to renew his effort to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Over half of the 166 prisoners at the facility are engaged in a prolonged hunger strike, a fact that has been ignored by the American press. Apparently, President Obama became quite defensive when questioned about his inability to close the prison, an act he promised would be his first official act when elected in 2008. The prison should have been closed years ago–indeed, it should never have been opened at all. It has no place in the American legal system.
The fate of the Hazara Shia community in Pakistan receives only sporadic media attention, largely because the city of Quetta is considered too dangerous for Western reporters. But the Hazara are one of the most persecuted groups in the world. The Pakistani government has failed repeatedly to protect its citizens, and it seems unlikely that the upcoming election will change that dire situation.
Economic data often miss capturing the true state of affairs–the things that can’t be measured are called ‘externalities. These externalities are often the things we care about the most. One example is our health. Researchers have found that there is a clear link between austerity programs and bad health–depression, suicides, and the like. If we required such issues to be included in a country’s GDP statistics, we might have a far different idea of what the state of an economy actually is.
There is a report circulating the web right now that Israel has bombed sites in Syria believed to contain chemical weapons. These reports are as yet unconfirmed. I’ll update this post when I get some additional information.
As the world figures out more and innovative ways to tap hydrocarbon resources, many are relieved that there won’t be an energy crisis any time soon. But one also needs to ask the question about whether these new reserves are indeed a good thing. Some would argue that a shortage is precisely what the world needs to move away from an energy system that is both costly and dangerous.
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