Marshall Plans
At September’s UN General Assembly in New York, Brazil’s President Lula described the international financial system as a “Marshall Plan in reverse” … Continue readingMarshall Plans
Poem: ‘Birthday’ by Patricia Smith
On this bed of chilled steel, I am the morning’s work,your project after coffee and, oh yes, some woman’s son.Whistling to break the ice in the room, you holdmost of
How to Make Lying Unpopular in Politics
Lying matters. It poisons our discourse, breeds cynicism about government, and makes it difficult to have serious conversations… … Continue readingHow to Make Lying Unpopular in Politics
Indian and Israeli Ethno-Nationalism
Balmurli Natrajan: “Hinduism has many aspects to it that have really nothing to do with Hindutva.” … Continue readingIndian and Israeli Ethno-Nationalism
God And Insurance: Ten Comparisons Between Egypt And Germany
by Eric Schenck at 3 Quarks Daily: The longer you’re in a new country the more it becomes a relationship. It starts out wonderful… … Continue readingGod And Insurance: Ten Comparisons Between Egypt And Germany
Poem: Passenger Deck
Now we are on the ferry we flew to drive to,It’s enormous engines vibrating Every molecule, spreading out,A family of ducks getting out of the way. My wife claims there
The Week’s Best Cartoons, Chapter By Chapter
From The Week Newsletter: Selected editorial cartoons –this week by Joel Pett; Monte Wolverton; Bob Englehart; and David Horsey.
Blast From the Past: Andy Rooney (of 60 Minutes Fame) Quotes
“I’ve learned that being kind is more important than being right. I’ve learned that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.” … Continue readingBlast From the Past: Andy Rooney (of 60 Minutes Fame) Quotes
Henry Miller on Becoming a Writer: “No Daring is Fatal”
If you are an artist, that means that you are denuding yourself more and more, that by the time you die you are stark naked and your bowels turned inside out. — Henry Miller … Continue readingHenry Miller on Becoming a Writer: “No Daring is Fatal”
New Report: Wildlife Loss is Taking Ecosystems Nearer to Collapse
Alexander C. Lees at The Conversation: (T)he biennial Living Planet report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is a stark reminder of our failure to arrest the loss of biodiversity
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Is the United States a Prisoner of Its Own Mythology?
Tom Zoellner in the Los Angeles Review of Books: The stories that a country tells itself are just as critical to its functioning as its army, its laws, its borders,
Continue readingIs the United States a Prisoner of Its Own Mythology?
How Can Poor Countries Become Rich
The answer is neither small-scale, targeted interventions nor broad generalizations about growth. Instead, we should focus on firms. … Continue readingHow Can Poor Countries Become Rich