In The News

Internet or Splinternet?

Joseph S. Nye August 11, 2016
The internet connects nearly half the world’s people, though political censorship and cybercrime could reduce public trust, explains Joseph Nye for Project Syndicate. He urges common rules to avoid fragmentation, based on a report from the Global Commission on Internet Governance. The report urges that openly developed standards, good user habits to discourage hackers, system design centered...

Will This Be the Happiest Place in the World?

Louise Redvers August 5, 2016
People who don't need to resort full attention to survival turn to more fulfilling pursuits including happiness. The United Arab Emirates is intent on developing itself as a place of happiness, by appointing a state minister, renaming some departments, and selecting 60 officials to travel overseas to study the state of mind and how it spreads. “Currently ranked 28th out of 156 countries...

Capitalist Democracy’s Left-Behinds Challenge the System

Humphrey Hawksley August 2, 2016
Democracy appears to be malfunctioning in a fast-paced world. “The concept of the Western-style democratic system is that an accountable government funded by revenue from the market will distribute wealth thus creating a stable society,” writes journalist Humphrey Hawksley, who points out large number of citizens, many uneducated, are convinced that democratic systems are rigged by wealthy and...

Globalization With Asian Characteristics

Chietigj Bajpaee July 22, 2016
As Britain elected to end membership with the European Union, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank held its first annual meeting – a juxtaposition that is “an indicator of the changing dynamics of globalization,” suggests policy analyst Chietigj Bajpaee for the Diplomat. Populist and protectionist stances, once regarded as extreme, are now mainstream in Europe and the United States. Western...

A Coup Is Foiled in Turkey, What Next?

Marc Grossman July 19, 2016
A harsh response after a failed attempted coup in a divided Turkey leaves many allies and neighbors questioning if the government can commit to pluralism, easing political divisions while battling extremism. Turkish security requires commitment in the fight against ISIS, with no accommodation, and domestic policies that promote tolerance and the rule of law, explains Marc Grossman, a vice...

Why Erdoğan Shouldn't Double Down on Dictatorship After Coup Attempt

Mohammed Ayoob July 19, 2016
Turkey is strategically essential for Europe, the United States and NATO, but doubts have emerged about the nation’s policies during the past year with repression of opposition groups. The organizers of the failed coup may have miscalculated on how much support they might receive from marginalized groups in a divided Turkey. “Politicians of all hues, including the secularists, the...

Brexit Is a Rejection of Globalization

Larry Elliott June 27, 2016
The less affluent fear political unions and expanding institutions because they lack power and control. With more concentrated power, wealth and influence the have-nots resist globalization, clinging to populist promises and local controls. Britain’s decision to leave the European Union reflects dissatisfaction with an economic model in place for three decades and its distribution of benefits. “...