In The News

WikiLeaks Has Officially Lost the Moral High Ground

Emma Grey Ellis July 29, 2016
WikiLeaks is releasing sensitive documents – including emails from the Democratic National Committee in the United States and those of the Turkish prime minister – without ample vetting: “lately the timing of and tone surrounding their leaks have felt a little off,” comments Emma Grey Ellis for Wired. “If they’re not scrutinizing their own leaks on the base level of their content, it’s not hard...

The Bell of Globalization Cannot Be Un-Rung

Phillip Lohaus July 29, 2016
Analysts have suggested that British voters’ decision to exit the European Union signals a pronounced dislike for globalization – open trade, immigration and global institutions that set new standards. Phillip Lohaus argues that the term “globalizaiton” is “employed so loosely that it has lost nearly all meaning” and that it’s a scapegoat for populist anger. Lohaus warns against employing extreme...

A Brief History of (In)equality

J. Bradford DeLong July 28, 2016
Rising inequality is a complex challenge that lacks simple solutions. “This complexity implies that any adjustments to our political economy should be based on sound social science and directed by elected leaders who are genuinely acting in the interest of the people,” argues economist J. Bradford DeLong. He summarizes processes throughout history that distributed economic gains in disparate ways...

Smartphone Addiction: The Slot Machine in Your Pocket

Tristan Harris July 27, 2016
Smartphones and social media by their very nature are like slot machines, enticing users to check for updates and news, explains Tristan Harris for Spiegel Online, describing intermittent variable rewards and need for social approval. The technology, like magicians, gives users the illusion of choice. “Western Culture is built around ideals of individual choice and freedom,” Harris writes. “...

With Globalization in Danger, G-20 Double Down on a Defense

July 26, 2016
The world’s largest economies have prospered from globalization, yet G20 finance leaders must confront the growing opposition to trade and immigration among their citizens: “finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 put a stepped-up emphasis on fiscal and structural policies to boost growth, and renewed a pledge to promote inclusiveness,” reports Bloomberg News. The article...

Pokémon Go: Overnight Sensation Was 20 Years in the Making

Alex Hern July 25, 2016
Pokémon Go, an augmented reality computer game that aims to catch cute characters superimposed on surrounding scenery, has gone viral. Alex Hern of the Guardian profiles Dennis Crowley, whose career centers on location-based games like Pac-Manhattan, Dodgeball and Foursquare, and reminds that the game was 20 years in the making. Pokémon Go blends a popular game of the 1990s with Ingress, “a...

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...