[ Content | Sidebar ]

Archives for August, 2009

Obama’s Africa Policy

Eusebius McKaiser and Sasha Polakaw-Suranksky try to make sense of Barack Obama’s Africa policy: Obama’s Africa policy is essentially premised on the promotion of — insistence on, even — good governance. This policy is touted not just as an intrinsic good for Africa but also, as Hillary Clinton said at the Eighth African Growth and [...]

American Cars vs. American Cellphones

A few weeks ago, I was discussing the launch of the Palm Pre with my friend Darren. I like the Pre, and he does too. I would rather have one of these than an iPhone, even though by all accounts the build quality of the hardware isn’t that great. It makes up for it by [...]

The Art of War

Marc Lynch’s Foreign Policy article on rap feuds as a metaphor for international relations is well worth reading. A sample: Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) is the closest thing to a hegemon which the rap world has known for a long time. He’s #1 on the Forbes list of the top earning rappers. He has an unimpeachable [...]

The Costs and Benefits of Needle Exchange

Michael Gerson, one of the primary architects of Bush’s big-government “compassionate conservatism”, defends needle-exchange programmes for heroin addicts: They are also at the center of a controversy. Needle-exchange programs have always been politically controversial, with opponents arguing that they send a mixed moral message about drug use. The House of Representatives recently passed an amendment [...]