America’s Other Dark Legacy In Iraq
The author of “Invisible War: The United States and the Iraq Sanctions”, Joy Gordon, explains that even putting aside Iraq’s horrifying descent into sectarian violence, the United States did a spectacularly poor job of governing the country.
The Dirt on Plastic Waste
Roughly half of plastic products, such as packaging, are intended for one-time, short-lifespan (less than six months) applications prior to disposal. Given that most of these items are not biodegradable, and are not recycled, plastics waste is building up – with serious environmental consequences.
The Alexei German I knew
Russians recently bade farewell to a man many considered to be the country’s greatest living filmmaker. ‘My Friend Ivan Lapshin’, Alexei German’s signature piece, was praised as the ‘best Soviet film ever made’ by fellow director Andrei Tarkovsky
Will China Wear Out Its Welcome in Africa?
In 2009, China overtook the USA as Africa’s biggest trading partner. In 2000, the total Sino-African trade volume was approximately US $10bn; it is now closer to $200bn per year.
Is Egypt Being Primed for a Coup?
When an important leader of the political opposition hints that a military coup might be preferable to the current chaos, and when a major financial organization proposes an economic program certain to spark a social explosion, something is afoot.
The crumbling of Finland’s consensus culture
Finland underwent a spectacular populist upheaval in 2011, when the True Finns won over nearly one fifth of the vote and became the main opposition party to the current government.
Folkhemmet
In this excerpt from ‘Sweden: the reluctant nation’, published as part of Counterpoint’s ‘Europe’s Reluctant Radicals’ project, Göran Rosenberg explores the history of the Swedish political ideal of ‘folkhemmet’ [the people’s home]. The rhetoric of nostalgia has always been a potent force in Swedish politics.
Iran and Egypt: An Unrequited Union
It is still a mystery why President Morsi of Egypt has begun a rapprochement with Iran, a country with which it has little in common, given the country’s poor reputation in the Middle East and the mutual suspicion that exists along the Sunni-Shiite divide.
Cyprus: The next blunder
Charles Wyplosz, Professor of International Economics, examines the The Cyprus bailout package and its tax on bank deposits. “It is a seriously dangerous policy, It is a radical change that potentially undermines a perfectly reasonable deposit guarantee and the euro itself.”
Will the global women’s rights movement prevail?
“Violence against women and girls is not in anyone’s culture, tradition or religion. This is about power, inequality, a lack of political will and courage to work towards a better world,” says Shareen Gokal.