All Commentaries
A Pivotal Moment for World Bank Transparency
In 2000, along with my colleague David Wheeler, I launched B-SPAN, a webcasting system that streamed videos of Bank policy dialogues to external audiences. The key principle of B-SPAN, based on the well-known C-SPAN model of the U.S. Congress, was that once the camera was turned on, the unedited streams would allow viewers to receive an uncensored glimpse of the debates occurring within the Bank.
Gilad Shalit’s Release Emboldens Netanyahu’s Iran Mandate
The motives of Israeli President Bibi Netanyahu and his defense minister Ehud Barak for attacking Iran may be as much personal as political.
History Repeats Itself with Somalia Invasion
Kenya’s ill-advised incursion into Somalia on Oct. 16 after a rash of kidnappings in the tourist paradise of Lamu will most likely lead to a long and expensive quagmire. The escalation will further destabilize a region already reeling from war, piracy, famine, and international terrorism.
Would Attacking Iran Really Make It More Determined to Build Nukes?
Various factors influence whether a state which has suffered an attack on its facilities for nuclear development will continue with its program.
Does Kim Need to Keep His Nukes to Avoid Gaddafi’s Fate?
A massive army, as North Korea possesses, may have the same deterrent effect as nuclear arms.
Review: Give Refuge to the Stranger
The United States is an immigrant nation, a haven for those fleeing persecution. This image of a welcoming country, however, has dramatically changed since the Cold War. In the shadow of 9/11 and the recent economic recession, the immigration issue has become increasingly sensitive. Xenophobia, job competition, and the federal government’s limited resources have led to rigid and even harsh immigration policies and legislation. This change in public opinion and government policy has undermined the right of asylum.
An Arab Spring in Burma Requires Alliance Between Armed and Nonviolent Resistance
To approximate the results in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, the non-violent resistance of Burma must let itself be complemented by the armed resistance of the ethnic groups.
The Irish Election: From Paramilitary to Presidential Nominee
Irish presidential candidate martin Martin McGuinness has even admitted on numerous occasions that he was a leading member of the IRA Army Council in Derry from 1970 until 1974.
Afghanistan: To Soothe the Militant Mind
A high-powered yoga teacher dreams of bringing the Taliban and Western troops together for meditation and yoga.
A Hakka Man Farms Rare Earth in South China
First of all, it’s not earth nor it’s rare, as they say
It lies under our feet, sparkling the soil we farm
Red, green, yellow, blue, purple, sky of grass
And buffalos, patches of rice, bamboos, sweet yams