In The News

Foreign Affairs: The Failures of Capitalism

Robin Varghese July 26, 2018
Wages for the poorer half of the population in Europe and the United States have had sluggish growth over the last 50 years, while corporate profits have soared. Karl Marx, philosopher and economist, had predicted that the nature of capitalism would lead to inequality, unemployment, stagnant wages and oligopolistic firms. While communist revolutions did occur in countries like Russia and China,...

New York Times: Erdoğan’s Victory in Turkey

Carlotta Gall June 25, 2018
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won reelection in Turkey, convincing a slim majority that a strong centralized government and increased controls contribute to security. Critics express concern about increasing authoritarianism for Turkey. The president will oversee a polarized country with fewer checks on his power and “a pliant Parliament, with his conservative party and its allies having won about 53...

Paris Innovation Review: 5 Societal Changes Shake Up Business

Farid Baddache June 22, 2018
Governments and consumers have expectations when choosing among products and companies, and five global trends are emerging: Customers increasingly assess the meaning, purposes and consequences of projects, and companies can encourage customer loyalty by demonstrating their products contribute social benefits. In particular, customers expect companies to promote environmental protection and work...

The Economist: Iran Braces for Economic War with America

May 24, 2018
Donald Trump’s May 8th pullout from the Iran nuclear deal – which had promised sanctions relief in exchange for reduction, conversion and inspections of its nuclear facilities – has disappointed and angered Iranian business leaders. Trump’s strategy shifted from containment to a full-on economic offensive. According to the Economist, the administration “has told firms worldwide that they have...

New York Times: Improve a Billion Lives With Eyeglasses

Andrew Jacobs May 10, 2018
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other deadly diseases are at the forefront of global health crises. This had allowed certain widespread health issues to be overlooked. Poor vision and lack of access to eyeglasses, while not necessarily fatal, afflicts more than a billion people worldwide. Eye exams and eyeglasses can be very expensive, while the resources allotted to improving vision care in...

Economist: Saudi Arabia Push Out Foreigners to Make Local Jobs

May 7, 2018
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s is implementing an economic restructuring plan to create more jobs for locals. “Finding jobs for young Saudis – around half of whom are unemployed – is critical for Prince Muhammad, who is the power behind the throne,” notes the Economist. Heretofore, the Saudi state has relied on cheap, foreign labor with about half of young Saudis unemployed. Saudi...

Business Insider: Two Winners Emerge After US Rift Over Russia

Sonam Sheth and Eliza Relman April 19, 2018
With evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, global audiences pay attention to US policies and messages on the subject. The Trump administration had made plans for a new round of sanctions for Russia after a suspected chemical attack in Syria. US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced the sanctions without knowing that Donald Trump had reversed the...