Time to friend-shore?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently introduced a concept she referred to as “friend-shoring.” In her words, “Friend-shoring is the idea that countries that espouse a common set of values…
International
How fares the emperor?
Xi Jinping has it all: general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, chairman of the Central Military Commission, commander-in-chief of the People’s Liberation Army, and the Politburo Standing Committee filled…
Whew! That was close—too close
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s election on Sunday in a squeaker, defeating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by a mere two points. It was a victory for more than Lula.…
About Russia and security
Russia has throughout its history been the victim of brutal invasions. From the east across the steppe came the hordes of Genghis Khan in the 13th century, and from the…
Don’t go, Chrystia
As a result of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, NATO is much more in the news lately. Consequently, the job of heading the organization is attracting attention as the…
Another failure on the nuclear front
Other than the various environmental swords that hang over our heads the greatest threat to the future of human society is nuclear war. In recognition of this overarching threat, global…
Happiness is…
The first World Happiness Report was presented in 2012. This week the 2022 report was published. Perhaps surprisingly, in most nations, average life evaluations have remained “remarkably resilient during COVID-19.”…
Nancy P’s Asian adventure
On first hearing about U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned visit to Taiwan it struck me as a rather, shall we say, stupid idea. It would infuriate the…
Putin making Russia great again
Both the two major world powers during the Cold War have had leaders who wanted to “make their nations great again.” Both hark back nostalgically to some imagined golden age.…
There is a Russian opposition
Russian’s new tsar, Vlad the shirtless, is not a man to entertain opposition. People who cross him have been known to be poisoned, shot, imprisoned or, in the case of…
World Environment Day
In the universe are billions of galaxies,In our galaxy are billions of planets,But there is Only One Earth. The above truism is from the UN Environment Program’s website for the…
Will Aussie go green?
Australia shares with Canada and the United States the dubious distinction of being one of the top three per-capita greenhouse gas producers among the industrial countries. The dirty three. Like…
NATO advances
Vladimir Putin. Yet another megalomaniacal psychopath pursuing Lebensraum, a true heir to the Nazis he claims to despise. If he has accomplished anything in his invasion of Ukraine, it is…
Are liberal values failing?
A recent article in The New York Times by David Brooks, “Globalization Is Over. The Global Culture Wars Have Begun,” discusses the decline of globalization generally and Western values specifically…
Will the poppy ban sink Afghanistan’s economy?
“All compatriots are informed from the date of the issuance of this decree, poppy cultivation is absolutely prohibited in the whole country and no one can try to cultivate the…
The international macho fraternity
Macho men have throughout history dominated societies—kings, warlords, military leaders and assorted demagogues. Despite the advance of democracy in the past few centuries, modern societies still have their share. Three…
This Isn’t a Heatwave — It’s a Dying Planet
Our Civilisation is Boiling Alive in the Fumes of its Own Waste umair haque Follow Jun 30 · 7 min read Image Credit: ABC11 Screenshot It was my lovely…
Canada’s Inability To Produce Covid Vaccines Is A Wakeup Call
Why Canada can’t make its own COVID-19 vaccine — and how to ‘fix’ the problem before the next pandemic By Alex Boyd Calgary Bureau Wed., Nov. 25, 2020 updateArticle…
Fake list of COVID-19 ‘wisdom’ attributed to Dr. Bonnie Henry making rounds online.
A warning to those quick to hit the “share” button on social media A warning to those quick to hit the “share” button on social media: A list purporting to…
Muhammad Ali Gives His Stance On The Vietnam War
As we face the immense changes and challenges of today a look back to this 60’s interview with Muhammad Ali and Dick Cavett seems worthwhile.